Kaleidoscope Heart
by TinyDancer365
Summary: Elena's friend, Grace, comes back to Mystic Falls and catches the attention of a certain Salvatore. Little do they all know that there is more to Grace than meets the eye. Damon/OC
1. Friday Night Bites part 1

**Alright so I'm a little in over my head with these Damon/OC stories. I have so many ideas for this series and I figured I'd let you all read them! This story starts with the episode 'Friday Night Bites' and this is only the first part of it.**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p>A brand new black jeep pulled into the Mystic Falls High School parking lot. The engine was killed and booming of bass from the radio stopped. A tiny brunette slid out of the driver's seat, her curly hair bouncing with every step she took. She walked further onto the grass covered campus and gave a sweep of all of the students, looking for one in particular. Her eyes stopped on a straight haired brunette girl and she smiled. She was talking to a tall guy with stunning green eyes. That doesn't seem right, the girl thought so she pulled out her phone and texted Elena.<p>

_Turn around._ She sent the message and not even ten seconds later Elena's phone buzzed and she read the new text on her phone. She wrinkled her nose and turned around to see one of her closest friends.

"Grace!" Elena yelled and ran up to the familiar brunette and practically threw herself at her. The girl, now known as Grace, embraced Elena just as enthusiastically. As soon as she touched Elena she felt that Elena was happy but the sting of her parent's death was still plaguing her. She also felt little butterflies flitting around in Elena's stomach. Grace could only guess that those butterflies were because of that gorgeous guy she was talking to. It was a talent she had ever since she could remember. Her grandmother has it; her mother has it and now her. Grace had never told anyone about it, she didn't need people to think she was a freak. So whenever anyone asked her about it she would disregard it as intuition. Her gift had been getting stronger throughout the years.

"How the hell are you, gorgeous?" Grace said pulling back and surveying Elena.

"I'm good! How are you? How did you know I was here?" She asked quickly. Grace pulled out her cell phone, "I'm guessing you didn't know Jenna knew how to text. I got here a couple weeks ago and I've been under the radar." She winked and her gaze wandered over to the boy she was talking to.

"Who is that?" She asked still keeping her eyes on them.

"That's Stefan." Elena said blushing and waved back at Stefan. He smiled and waved back.

"Holy hell…does he have any brothers?" Grace asked.

"Yeah he does but he's a little…strange." Elena said recalling her meeting with Damon the other day. Sure he was handsome but she couldn't shake the strange vibes she got from him and she wasn't in any position to have one of her best friends meet up with some weirdo, Stefan's brother or not.

"Aren't all men strange?" Grace laughed and Stefan came over to meet the two girls.

"Stefan, this is one of my best friends. Grace, meet Stefan." Elena introduced the two of them.

"Hi Stefan! It's nice to meet you!" She greeted politely and shook his hand. She saw a ball coming towards the back of Stefan's head but before the vision could finish Stefan let go of her hand. That was another one of her _talents_. She could vaguely see future or past events.

"It's a pleasure. How long have you known Elena?" He asked curiously.

"We met in the sandbox." She laughed, "And we've been friends ever since! By the way, where did Bonnie run off to?" She asked looking around for her.

"Oh she said she had to find Caroline." Elena explained and Grace wrinkled her nose. She wasn't too fond of Caroline. They never had any problems with each other but Caroline was very shallow and plastic in Grace's eyes.

"Actually ya know what, now that the both of you are here, what are you guys doing tonight?" Elena asked excitedly.

"Niente." Grace said in her best Italian accent and Stefan's ear perked up.

"I'm free tonight." He said turning back to Elena.

"Perfect. Dinner, my house. 8:00. We'll all spend some quality time with each other and Bonnie will see what a great guy you are."

"Ohh yeah Bonnie is a tough nut to crack. Don't be too discouraged, Stefan. She's really a sweetie once you get to know her." Grace said and Stefan smiled at her. Suddenly out of nowhere a football came flying through the air and was aimed at the back of Stefan's head.

"Stefan! Watch out!" Grace cried and Stefan turned and caught the ball with impressive speed to both of the girls' surprise. They all looked to see that Tyler had thrown the ball with Matt by his side. Grace shook her head at Tyler and he gave her a snide smirk.

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><p>Grace pulled up to Elena's house at 9:00 and she ran up the steps. Being punctual was not one of her strong points. Elena opened the door to see her frazzled friend.<p>

"Hey, I was just going to call you. Was everything okay?" Elena asked.

"Yeah everything's fine. My class ran late and I ran home to shower because I was _not_ coming here all sweaty and gross." Grace said coming through the door.

"Class?" Elena asked her to clarify.

"Dance class. I'm teaching now, part time." She said with a smile. Grace really loved teaching and especially if she was teaching dance. It was her passion.

"Oh wow that's so great!" Elena said taking Grace's jacket and hanging it over the banister, "We're all having coffee in the living room. So grab a cup in the kitchen and I'll meet you there." Elena said. Grace moved to the kitchen and got a mug from one of the cabinets. As she was pouring coffee when she got another vision of a glass dropping in the kitchen but the vision ended just as abruptly as it started. She didn't realize she poured too much coffee until she felt it run over the sides of the cup and burned her hand.

"Shit!" She cursed and ran her hand under cool water from the sink. Now why couldn't she get a vision that she was going to burn her hand as opposed to learning the fate of some poor glass? Assessing her red hand she gripped her mug in the opposite hand and walked into the living room.

"Everyone this Grace. She's an old friend of mine." Elena introduced and the whole group said their hellos. Grace recognized everyone in the room except for tall, dark and handsome who was sitting next to Caroline. It must be her flavor of the week, Grace thought.

"Hi everyone! Sorry I'm late." She sheepishly taking a seat next to Bonnie and hugging her, "Hey Caroline." She added politely and the blonde waved.

"Oh and this is my boyfriend, Damon." She said snidely. Caroline was flaunting him in front of everyone and Damon was clearly enjoying it.

"It's nice to meet you Damon." Grace nodded in his direction and Damon threw her a smoldering smirk.

"The pleasure's all mine." He said simply.

"So guys, what the gossip around Mystic Falls lately?" Grace asked enthusiastically.

"Oh well Stefan landed himself a spot on the football team." Caroline said proudly.

"That's awesome Stefan! The way you caught that ball today was insane! Tyler can be such a dick." Grace said. "But that's really good!" She added and threw a sweet smile at Stefan.

"Ooh yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today. That's only because you missed summer camp." Caroline said and the room grew quiet. Grace felt her blood pressure boiling, Caroline could be such an insensitive bitch. "God I don't know how you're going to learn the routines." Caroline mused.

"I'll work with her. She'll get it." Bonnie said defensively.

"Yeah I can help her too!" Grace added.

"But you're a dancer, not a cheerleader." Caroline said.

"It doesn't matter. Movement is movement." Grace cut in. Now she was really getting angry.

"I guess I can put her in the back." Caroline went off on a tangent once again before Damon said, "You know, you don't look like the cheerleader type."

"Oh well that's because her parents died." Caroline said and Grace bolted up from her spot. "Finished, Bonnie?" She asked and took her mug before Bonnie could even answer. She took everyone else's mugs and bolted into the kitchen. She really wanted to pummel Caroline. It was amazing that her anger just overtook her. It was like a wave that just surged throughout her body. Wanting to take her mind off that dumb blonde, she started to clean the dirty dishes that were piled in the sink. She felt her temper dissipate after a little while. Grace had a wet and soapy glass in her hand when Damon's voice made her jump.

"One more." The glass slipped out of her hand and plummeted to the floor but Damon caught it before it could shatter. Looks like her vision would have been that Damon saved the glass. He held it up to her with that trademark smirk plastered on his face.

"Wow! Two points for you!" She laughed taking both glasses from him and set them in the dishwasher.

"I like you, you know how to laugh." Damon said helping her move the dishes from the sink into the dishwasher. Grace looked at some of the dried tupperware containers trying to remember where they belonged. She'd been to Elena's house so many times so why couldn't she remember where they resided. She opened one of the top cabinets to see other tupperwares like the one in her hand. Unfortunately the cabinet was a little high for her and she was not about to take free throws in Elena's kitchen. So she slipped out of her flats and stood on her tippy toes to reach the cabinet. Damon watched her the entire time. She had stunning legs. Her gorgeous skin stretched over the muscles in her calves and it made Damon's mouth water. He'd love to sink his fangs into one of her calves or maybe perhaps her thigh. He felt his gums ache just thinking about it. Grace closed the cabinet and stepped back into her shoes without a word.

"Guess all of those years of ballet really come in handy?" He quipped and she looked back at him.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I saw the ribbon of your shoes hanging out of your bag." He said simply. Her pointe shoes. Normally she had a separate bag for all her dance shoes but tonight she was in such a hurry that she just threw them in her purse.

"You got me!" She said with a smile and continued to hand dirty utensils to Damon to put in the dishwasher. They were in silence for a little while until Grace finally broke the silence. "Look, you must think I'm a complete bitch but what Caroline said really set me off. She can be so…"

"Insensitive?" Damon finished for her and she nodded. "I know that. I mean me and Stefan are on our own. We lost our parents and we've watched everyone around us die." He said sadly.

"Oh, wow. I'm so sorry." She said quietly.

"Don't be. It's life." He shrugged and closed the dishwasher.

"Uhm, before did you mean, Katherine?" She asked and Damon stared at her. "Elena filled me in." She explained and Damon nodded.

"How did she die?" Grace asked hesitantly.

"In a fire. A tragic fire." He said solemnly.

"Recently?" She inquired.

"Well, it seems like it was yesterday." Damon said but unbeknownst to Grace it had its own hidden intention.

"What was she like?"

"Well she was beautiful. A lot like you in that department." Damon said and Grace felt her cheeks flush bright red. "She was just very complex and selfish and at times not very kind, but very sexy and seductive." He finished. "By the way I thought it was very adorable the way you defended Elena tonight." He added and she laughed a little.

"Well, Elena is like a little sister to me. You screw with her, you screw with me. And hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Grace said proudly but she faltered slightly thinking about Katherine. "I'm sorry about Katherine. You lost her too." She said and Damon gave her a sympathetic smile. His eyes wandered down to her hand.

"What happened there?" He asked seeing her skin a bright red tint. Damon reached for her hand but she pulled back.

"It's nothing. I just burned my hand." She said simply and Damon held out his hand.

"Lemme see. It doesn't look too good." He said convincingly and she hesitantly placed her small hand in his. She felt heat run through her skin as she looked into his eyes. He was so handsome but he was also with Caroline. Damn it. Suddenly a brigade of visions hit her like a battering ram. She saw blood and lots of it at what looked to be like a football game. There was a fight and an ambulance lights flashed before her eyes and her vision died down. Damon didn't catch the panicked look in her eyes since he was examining her hand.

"You're alright. It just looks worse than it actually is." He said meeting her eyes again. Grace felt herself wanting to melt right there in the kitchen just looking into his eyes. "You okay?" He asked and she removed her hand from his.

"I'm fine." Grace said definitely. Normally her visions weren't that dark. She'd see things like a routine in dance class or her wearing something she'd buy the next week but this vision was dangerous. It scared her that she got that kind of vibe from Damon. Bonnie had taken that moment to come into the kitchen.

"You guys need help?" She asked and they both nodded.

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><p>"Mom? I'm home!" Grace said coming through the front door. She lived with her mother in a small house not too far from Elena's.<p>

"Hey honey! How was Elena's?" Her mother asked.

"It was good. I think since I've moved here my visions are getting more prominent." She explained while plopping down on the couch next to her mom. Grace's mother, Diana, looked a lot like her daughter. She was tiny and had dark wavy hair as opposed to Grace's chocolate curls.

"You had another one?" Grace's mom knew about her visions. One could say that it ran in the family. Diana didn't get them but her own mother, Grace's grandma, would get them.

"I had 3 today. One was with the football and Stefan at the high school. I told you that one." Grace held up her fingers to indicate each vision. "Another one was at Elena's. I saw a glass fall and smash into a thousand pieces but someone stopped it."

"Hmm, not many people can stop visions. Who was it?" Her mother asked.

"Stefan's brother, Damon. He caught it." Grace explained.

"Maybe he's just lucky." Her mom mused.

"And the other one was at the studio. I saw Emily's ankle roll under but I was able to stop that one."

"Grace, you know you're not supposed to stop visions!" Diana scolded.

"Oh come on Mom! If I see someone getting hurt I'll naturally wanna help one. Besides we need Emily for next week's game. We're dancing at Mystic Falls High School as part of a half time show." Grace explained but she stopped herself. She had just learned today that her dance team would be performing at the high school. So now her other vision made sense! Grace decided not to say anything to her mom about the other vision partly because she was terrified that it would come true. Also there was always the factor of her vision not happening. Tricky things, these visions.

"My daughter, 'The Protector'." Her mother sighed and Grace shrugged.

"Alright I'm going to bed. Love you!" Grace said kissing her mom on the cheek.

"Night, honey." Diana replied and Grace made her way up to her room. She was getting ready for bed and couldn't shake the strange feeling that someone was watching her. Grace stood over her dresser to take her earrings out when a black bird perched on her window sill caught her attention. She stared at the bird and it cawed loudly before tapping his beak against the window. Grace lightly banged the window and the bird cawed again.

"Damn bird!" She muttered and the crow flapped its wings and flew away. "Creepy." Grace said before snuggling into bed.

_Grace was standing over Elena's sink when she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist. She smirked to herself because she felt so naughty. Here she was in Elena's kitchen with Caroline's boyfriend showering her with attention. Damon pulled her taut body against his and swept her hair over her shoulder. He brushed his lips over her neck before kissing her skin lightly._

"_You know we shouldn't be doing this." She chided playfully._

"_I know but it feels so good." He murmured in her ear and a shiver cascaded down her spine. Grace viewed their reflection in the window and it felt erotic watching him do things to her. Damon nibbled on her ear lobe a little before sucking it into his mouth. She threaded her fingers through his lush, dark hair and gently scratched at his scalp. He was sinful, absolutely sinful. Grace pushed her supple backside into his obvious arousal and Damon couldn't hold back a groan._

"_Do you know how much you're tempting me?" He whispered and she gave him a sensual, seductive laugh._

"_Oh come on. A big, bad boy like you being teased by a little girl like me? I'm shocked." She joked and Damon pushed his jean clad erection into her harder, effectively holding her to the counter. Her belly would definitely be bruised in the morning. "Mmm…now who's teasing, Salvatore?" She purred._

"_You're making it very difficult for me to not to throw you down on the floor and take you right here in this kitchen." He rasped with rubbing himself against her. Grace keened out loud, feeling a wetness pool in between her thighs. Every fiber in her being wanted to give herself over to him. She wanted to give in to the darkness and mystery surrounding him._

"_What's stopping you?" She hushed meeting his gaze in the mirror. He gave her a malicious smile and she smirked back at him._

"_I'm hungry." He whispered to her reflection before letting his fangs drop from his upper jaw and his eyes turned a deep, blood red. Grace gasped and tried to rustle out of his grip but Damon savagely bit into her neck. The pain was unbelievably unbearable and Grace let out an ear splitting scream._

Grace bolted up from her bed gasping and panting. That dream was so real! She felt everything from Damon's voice lingering in her ear to the bite on her neck, she felt it all. Her hands went straight to her neck but found nothing there. She was finally able to calm her breathing but she couldn't get over her dream. She'd heard of vampires but they weren't real! Were they?

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><p>Damon smirked to himself seeing Grace in such distress. He was perched on a branch in a nearby tree. Her heart beat was ringing in her ears and her blood rushing through her fangs made his fangs press against his upper lip. She was definitely intriguing. Something about her was different. He didn't know what that was; he wasn't even sure that she knew. Damon would figure her out sooner or later.<p>

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><p><strong>Well, whaddya think? Please review and lemme know :]<strong>


	2. Friday Night Bites part 2

**Thanks everyone for the reviews, favorites and alerts!**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story**

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><p>The next few weeks had been stressful for Grace. She'd been in dance class all day everyday rehearsing for the dance at the football game. She pushed her company team to the limit but they were ready for the game. Not to mention she was also a student at the studio as well as a teacher. She was run ragged and it didn't help that she kept having nightmares about the game and Damon. She hadn't seen much of Damon but she took that as a good thing. Ever since that dream of him and her in Elena's kitchen she was afraid she might just do anything he asked her to do; especially if she got the chance to feel his skin on hers. Grace mentally slapped herself. What was she doing? Damon was with Caroline and she was dreaming about him kissing her! Since when did she think about another girl's boyfriend?<p>

The night of the game finally arrived and the entire dance team was bursting with excitement. They were all ready and stretching on the grass when Tyler sauntered up to Grace who was practicing with a bunch of the other girls.

"Hey ladies." He smirked and Grace rolled her eyes. She knew all of Elena's friends but she really didn't like Tyler. He was a cocky son of a bitch who needed to be knocked off his high horse. The other girls ignored him also so Tyler tried a different approach.

"Aww come on, Grace! Is that how you treat an old friend?" He quipped and Grace faced him.

"Trust me, Tyler. You're no friend of mine." Grace said stretched her arms over her head. Tyler didn't seem to get the hint.

"Well, I'd certainly like to get to know _you_ better." Tyler said getting closer to her.

"Look, Tyler. I'm just not interested." She said dismissing him but he kept perusing her.

"Can I buy you a drink after the game?" He asked and Grace finally turned on him. She tried being nice about it but Tyler just didn't know when to stop.

"I said that I'm not interested so just back off, alright?" She said impatiently and Tyler glared at her before she turned to walk away.

"Hey! Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" He said gripping her forearm and Grace was hit with another vision. She saw Jeremy slashing Stefan's hand with a bottle and it was bleeding heavily. There was no scar or evidence that he'd been hurt. The vision stopped since Tyler started to shake her arm.

"Yo! Are you listening to me?" He asked rudely. Grace backhanded Tyler across the face so he unhanded her and then she shoved him with such a force that surprised everyone who was watching the whole ordeal. Even Grace was thrown for a loop. Tyler was a big kid and he had his football gear on so how did she manage to push him to the ground? Taylor came behind Grace to ask her if she was alright while Matt came to help Tyler up. Tyler continued to stare at her and muttered something under his breath about his bruised elbow and not to mention his bruised ego. Matt gave an apologetic smile to the girls and Grace nodded to him.

"How did you do that?" Taylor asked and Grace just shook her head.

"I…I don't know." Grace said quietly and shook it off as an adrenaline rush.

Coach Tanner was making a big speech and thanking Stefan for his incredible football skills. The crowd cheered loudly except for Tyler who just scowled. Somewhere along the lines a fight broke out between Tyler and Jeremy. Elena tried to hold back Jeremy while Vicki did the same with Tyler but it was no use. They charged at each other and Jeremy was getting pretty beat up. Tyler hooted and hollered that he won when Jeremy fell to the ground, however he wasn't finished yet. Jeremy took a broken bottle in his hands and went to charge at Tyler.

Grace's breath hitched in her throat when she saw Stefan move to get in the way. Not thinking she moved in front of Stefan to block him and the bottle slashed her hand. The pain erupted as Grace felt the bottle slice her skin open. Stefan looked at her, completely astonished and he knew his blood lust was taking over as he watched the blood pour from her hand. Grace met his eyes and she saw them turn black much like how Damon's did in her dream. Stefan turned his back on her just as Elena shoved Jeremy back to look at Grace's hand.

"Oh my God! Your hand!" She screamed and Grace let the tears roll down her face. It hurt and she felt her hand become numb. Elena pressed some tissues to the wound and they quickly became stained with blood.

"Grace! I…I'm so sorry!" Jeremy said sadly and Grace just waved him off. It wasn't his fault. This injury was her fault. She _had_ to step in between the fight.

"Alright guys! Give her some room!" A masculine voice boomed and the group turned to see some unknown guy making his way to Grace.

"I…it was an accident!" Jeremy said trying to explain.

"Its fine, Jeremy." Grace said.

"May I see your hand, miss?" The man asked and Grace took the time to look over him. He was tall with short brown hair and warm brown eyes. He was incredibly handsome. Grace could see his toned body and arms through the fabric of his shirt

"Miss?" He repeated and Grace broke her stare.

"Oh uhm, yeah." She muttered and took the bloody tissues off her hand. The cut stopped bleeding but it looked pretty bad.

"Come on, I'll help you get cleaned up." He said softly and he led her away from the crowd to a quiet corner near the bleachers. "This might sting a little." He said and poured some hydrogen peroxide on the cut. Grace hissed but kept her hand open, watching the wound bubble for a little bit.

"Don't you wish that you could let your visions just happen?" He mused and Grace stared at him in shock.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"I get them too." He answered simply. "You saw that other kid get hurt and you decided to jump in, right?" He asked and she nodded.

"I guess I just wanted to help." She muttered under breath.

"Well there's no harm in that." He laughed and a sweet smile broke out across her lips.

"So what's the prognosis, doctor? She quipped.

"Oh, I'm not a doctor. I just wanted to help." He repeated her words and Grace could feel herself being drawn to this mystery man. He wasn't like Damon or any other guy she met. He was sweet and charming.

"What's your name?" Grace asked.

"Adam." He introduced. "Yours?"

"I'm Grace. Good so now I know your name so if I get an infection, I'm suing your ass!" She joked and Adam couldn't help but chuckle along with her.

"You'll be fine. I promise." He said and placed one hand over her wounded one and his other hand underneath. Grace felt a warm sensation burst through her hand and it subsided just as quickly as it started. Adam let her hand go and to Grace's surprise the cut was gone. She stared at it openmouthed before looking back at Adam.

"Shh, there's more where that came from." He said with smile and turned to leave.

"Wait! How did you do that?" She jumped up and tapped his shoulder.

"Well in order for me to explain the whole story, I'd have to see you again." He mused playfully.

"Oh so I get it now, that whole healing trick was to get a date with me." She tisked and couldn't help herself from smiling.

"Hey, it got your attention right?" Adam laughed. "I'll see you around, Grace. Good luck tonight." He winked at her before turning on his heel and walking away. Grace was smitten by him. In fact she couldn't wait til they'd meet again.

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><p>Grace went back to her car to get a sweatshirt when she felt Damon behind her. "Holy shit, Damon! Don't do that!" She scolded.<p>

"Sorry." He whispered.

"It's fine." She whispered back, "Wait, why are we whispering?" She asked him.

"I'm hiding from Caroline." He said snidely.

"Look, I may not like Caroline but don't string her along. She may be a bitch but no one deserves that." Grace said honestly.

"Perhaps I should go for someone more _my _speed. Someone like you." Damon smirked and Grace raised her eyebrows.

"Someone like me?" She scoffed and Damon nodded. "You don't even know me, Damon."

"I think I do. You feel drawn to me and sometimes you even dream about me. You want me to completely ravage you in ways you've never known." He whispered seductively and Grace felt her mind become cloudy. He leaned in closer to her and she did the same. Her gaze dropped to his lips and she wanted nothing more than to taste him and have in taste her. "And right now, you wanna kiss me." Damon compelled her, making his pupils dilate and contract. They were so close and she could feel Damon's hot breath on her lips. He was tempting her and she was wavering on falling off the edge. Suddenly the fog lifted as Damon's eyes fluttered closed. Grace brought her hand back and punched Damon in the jaw. He looked at her in utter shock.

"I don't know what game you're trying to play with me but I'm not some little wind up toy, Damon." Grace said angrily and stalked off away from him. Damon was left completely speechless, not to mention when she slapped him it actually hurt. Normally when a human hit him he didn't even flinch but Grace had a strong arm. Damon massaged his jaw and followed her in the shadows until he heard Stefan talking with some kid on the football team. He waited til Stefan was alone to taunt him.

"That was a nice trick with Grace. Lemme guess, you told Elena to put vervain in her drinks. Smart move. No one's ever been able to resist my compulsion. I was surprised and the brat has a deadly right hook." Damon mused and Stefan raised his eyebrows.

"Does it matter?" Stefan asked. Truthfully he hadn't given vervain to anyone but Elena. So how did Grace get her hands on some?

"I could just seduce her the old fashioned way. Or I could just eat her." Damon smirked. "Although she would be fun to keep around. She's a fiery little thing."

"Stop playing around with her, Damon! You obviously have taken a liking to her because you haven't killed her yet." Stefan said. "You pretend to have no humanity yet you're keeping her alive."

"Don't test me, Stefan!" Damon growled and Mr. Tanner just happened to step into their confrontation.

"Salvatore! What the hell? We've got a game to play!" He yelled and Stefan tensed up. There was no telling what Damon would do now.

"If that's my humanity…than what is?" Damon sneered before blurring behind Coach Tanner and tearing his throat out. Tanner's body fell to the ground and Damon licked the blood around his lips. "Anyone, anytime, anyplace." Damon said sinisterly. "Don't ever think that a pathetic human like Grace could ever change me!" He left and Stefan left as well as to not be caught red handed for Tanner's death.

Matt discovered Tanner's body and the whole school was in an uproar. The game was cancelled and his death was labeled as an animal attack. The entire school was in fear including Elena and Grace. How could an animal get so close to the school? And why would they attack Coach Tanner of all people? The town of Mystic Falls just kept getting stranger and stranger. And Grace had a feeling that Damon had something to do with it.

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><p><strong>Here's another one! Hope you enjoyed! Please REVIEW!<strong>


	3. Family Ties

**Hello all! Sorry that this one took so long to get out! I've had a very busy couple of days but here's the next one!**

**Thank you all for the reviews, messages, alerts and favorites :)**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story!**

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><p>Grace was up the next morning early to head into the studio to get some extra practice in. Her pointe class was doing some numbers from <em>Sleeping Beauty<em> and her teacher was being a hard ass. After her class she stopped at the Grill for a quick bite to eat before heading on over to Elena's to help her with some stuff for the Founder's Party. While waiting for her meal, her eyes rested on a familiar face.

Adam.

He was hanging out with some of his friends over at one of the pool tables. She needed to talk with him about what happened at the football game but didn't want to drag him away from his friends. Anxiously she stepped up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to face her with a smile playing on his face.

"Somehow I knew you'd be here." He said with a wink and Grace playfully shoved him.

"Oh please! I'm sure you had some help." She smirked in referring to his visions. "Listen – uhm, can I talk to you?" She asked seriously and Adam turned to his friends who smiled and gave Grace a simple nod. The two of them walked back to her table and sat down.

"So, what do you wanna know?" He asked.

"Everything!" Grace said excitedly leaning in on her elbows.

"Well if it isn't Grace?" A snarky voice said from behind them and Grace's hope deflated recognizing the voice as Damon's. Both turned to see him all clad in black with a smirk on his face.

"Damon." Grace regarded snidely and Damon feigned being hurt by her attitude.

"Ouch, Grace. No need to be rude. I don't mean to interrupt your date." He smirked and Grace glared at him. "Damon Salvatore." He introduced himself to Adam and held out his hand. Adam took it and shook.

"Adam Herring. Nice to meet you." He said and Damon smiled sweetly – all Grace could do was roll her eyes. Grasping Damon's hand, Adam was able to tell exactly what he was but he had to keep his cool.

"Well _Adam_," Damon snickered, "I'll leave you two love birds alone and I hope to see you at the Founder's Party, Grace." He winked and Grace huffed as soon as he was out of ear shot.

"I'm really sorry about him. He's such an asshole." She apologized.

"It's alright. I'm guessing you two don't have a good history?" Adam inquired.

"Nope. He totally went all 'you want me' at the game. It was weird and his eyes were bugging out and – whatever let's not talk about him."Grace said quickly.

"Alright, well I've been getting visions all my life and they started off with little things and then they got bigger and also clearer - not to mention they also got more accurate. For example I knew about your hand at the game. I saw that." He explained.

"Yeah, normally the smaller ones never change but sometimes they are really fuzzy. How can I change that?" She asked.

"You could try meditating – I found that works for me or sometimes the accuracy comes with age." He said.

"And what about feeling people's moods. Can you do that?" She asked.

"Sure. Try me out." Adam said holding out his hand. Grace gently placed her hand in his and nodded her head once his feelings came into her head. "What do you feel?"

"Very calm and serene. It's weird how at ease you are." She described.

"Very good. You see, when I shook Damon's hand I felt a lot of angst and pent up anger." He explained and Cassandra shook her head.

"I couldn't read him at all. However he gave me a vision. It had a lot of blood in it." Grace shuddered just thinking about the vision. "Sometimes I get visions from touching people and other times they just come to me. I can't help it."

"If you get a vision from touching someone you can guarantee that the vision has something to do with that person. I didn't see Damon at the game though." Adam said.

"I unfortunately ran into him in the parking lot." Grace scoffed. "Ugh, please just don't bring him up. He makes me angry."

"I can feel it. It's like molten lava pouring off of you." He explained and Grace raised her eyebrow. "When someone's feelings are really strong you could possibly feel them."

"Oh, I see. Well let's not talk about Damon. Let's talk about you." Grace said but wished she could take back the words as soon as they left her mouth. She never wanted to come across as over eager but she felt at ease with Adam. He was easy to talk to and he was incredibly handsome. She giggled, her cheeks blushing a bright red and Adam laughed with her.

"Well, that was awkward." She muttered and nervously tucked a curl behind her ear.

"It's alright. If it's alright with you I wanna talk about you." He said smoothly and Grace blushed once again. "Look, I know we've just met but would you like to come with me to the Founder's Party?" He asked and Grace bit her bottom lip.

"Sure. I'd love to." She said sweetly and on cue her phone blared with a text from Elena asking where she was. "Shit! I'm so sorry but I'm late. I gotta go but I'll see you later?" She inquired and he winked at her.

"I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Seven it is, _Adam_." She joked using Damon's nickname from before and she was off to Elena's. Little did she know, Damon was in the back of the Grill and overheard their entire conversation. He knew Grace was different and apparently this kid Adam was as well – this new information just added to his evidence to make his assumption true.

* * *

><p>"What do you think? Delicate flower or Naughty vixen?" Bonnie asked holding up two bottles of nail polish.<p>

"Hmm, tough choice. Can we mix them?" Elena asked.

"Speak for yourself. I'll take the Naughty Vixen." Grace winked taking the bottle from Bonnie and settling herself down at the table.

"Someone's feeling daring today." Elena smirked sitting down with the girls. "Does it have to do with that cutie from the game?" She asked and Grace just smiled to herself. She really felt like she was on cloud nine.

"Nope." Grace said coyly and both Elena and Bonnie gave her a look. "Alright fine! It its! He's just so handsome and he makes me happy. I know it sounds crazy but it's like instant attraction ya know?" She explained and both girls giggled. "Oh come on Elena! You had the same thing with Stefan so don't gimme that coy crap!" Grace joked and a smile broke out across Elena's face.

"Yeah, I just feel happy with Stefan." Elena said sweetly and Bonnie snorted to herself.

"Apparently Stefan has a very interesting back story. Do you know what happened with his ex girlfriend, Katherine?" Bonnie asked.

"I know that they both dated her and that's why they have issues." Elena said simply.

"That's true but in the end she chose Damon. Stefan went mad and he did all sorts of bad things to try and break them up. He manipulated Katherine. He filled her head with lies and that finally worked. She turned on Damon." Bonnie explained.

"That only sounds like one person's side of the story, Damon's." Elena said defensively.

"Yeah! And we all know Damon is a prick!" Grace interjected.

"Jeez, where did all your hate for Damon come from?" Elena asked.

"Since he tried to kiss me in the parking lot!" Grace explained. "If anything Bonnie, Damon is a calculating, manipulative liar!"

"Okay fine! Don't say I didn't warn you, Elena. Just don't say anything to anyone about this. I don't need it going back to Damon since Caroline squealed and told me." Bonnie pleaded.

"Isn't that always like Caroline? Constantly running her mouth?" Grace scoffed.

* * *

><p>When Grace returned home, she busied herself with getting ready for the Founder's Party. Her stomach had little butterflies flitting around in it since she was so anxious that Adam would be taking her. Her hair was curled and she wore a simple short black dress with a tasteful pattern of purple lilacs on it with black peep toed shoes to match. Adam picked her up and he looked as dashing as ever. Arriving at the party they greeted the Mayor, his wife Carol, and Tyler. They met up with Elena and Stefan who were inside looking at some historical pieces from Mystic Fall's history. Grace introduced Adam to them and they continued to look at some memorabilia.<p>

"Wait, does that say 'Stefan and Damon Salvatore'?" Grace asked aloud when she reading the registry from the first ever founder's council celebration.

"Yep. The original Salvatore brothers." Damon voice rang as he came into the room with Caroline on his arm. "Our ancestors. It's a tragic story actually." He said.

"We don't need to bore them with stories of the past." Stefan said quickly while eyeing Damon.

"It's not boring, Stefan. I'd love to hear more about your family." Elena replied and Grace noticed Stefan's body tense. He must really be hiding some big secret, Grace thought to herself.

"Well I'm bored and I wanna dance." Caroline whined and winked at Adam. "I don't believe we've met, I'm Caroline." She batted her eyebrows and Damon couldn't help but snicker while Grace rolled her eyes at Caroline's eagerness. "Would you like to dance with me?" She asked and Adam looked to Grace who nodded slowly. The two of them left leaving Stefan, Elena, Grace and Damon still in the room.

"Brother, Elena, I'd like to speak with Miss Grace. Alone." Damon said with a smirk. Elena and Stefan went to protest but Grace stopped them.

"I'll be fine guys." She assured them and the couple gave one last look to Grace and Damon before vacating the room. "What do you want, Damon?" Grace asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"I want to apologize for being such a world class jerk the other night when I tried to kiss you. There's no excuse. My therapist says I'm...acting out." Damon said simply.

"That sounds like an excuse to me." Grace said snidely.

"Hey look, I'm trying to be the bigger person here. Can we start over?" He asked and Grace sighed before nodded. "Hi, I'm Damon." He introduced.

"I'm Grace. It's nice to meet you, Damon." She said as nicely as she could. Damon took her hand and placed a deep kiss over her skin, his eyes never leaving hers. Grace felt a blush engulf her cheeks.

"The pleasure's all mine." Damon's velvet voice sent shivers down her spine and Grace broke his stare and took her hand back from his firm grip.

"So Damon," Grace started while walking over to some of the glass encased exhibits, "Since Stefan was so negligent to talk about the past, how about you indulge me." She finished running her fingers over the registry.

"Surely. Well the Salvatore name was practically royalty in this town until the war. There was a battle here – "

"The battle of Willow Creek." Grace finished for him. "I like history." She explained.

"Right. What the history books left out was there were people killed inside a church that Confederate soldiers opened fire on. It wasn't by accident. They were thought to be Union sympathizers. So some of the founder's on the Confederate side wanted to round them up and burn them alive. Stefan and Damon had someone they loved very much in that church. And when they went to rescue them, they were shot. Murdered in cold blood." Damon explained and Grace couldn't help but notice the overwhelming sadness that was radiating off Damon. This must have what Adam meant by sensing someone's mood.

"Who was in the church that they wanted to save?" Grace asked quietly watching Damon run his hands over a small wooden replica of the old church.

"A woman, I guess. Doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?" Damon answered and Grace felt her heart wrench. All of the sadness that was overwhelming her was coming from Damon. Why was something that happened such a long time ago eating away at his heart?

"Look, I'm sorry that you and Stefan have this thing between you but I'm not getting in the middle of it and neither will Elena." She explained, "I hope you two can work this out."

"I hope so too." Damon said sincerely and Grace couldn't help but feel bad for Damon. He just seemed so mysterious, like he was hiding behind some very high walls that were meant to keep people out. Something in her wanted to break down those walls and see the real him.

* * *

><p>Damon and Grace moved outside to see Stefan and Elena dancing when Caroline and Adam walked back up to them. Caroline immediately attached herself back to Damon's arm.<p>

"May I have his dance?" Adam asked Grace and she took his hand. He led them to the dance floor and Grace placed her small hand in his while an arm snaked around her waist. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight." He smiled at her.

"Thanks." She blushed.

"Come on, _dancer_; show me how it's done." He joked and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"This kind of dancing is easy. You wanna see me dance? Then come to a pointe class, now that's real dancing." She explained.

"Don't mind if I do. I could use a couple of dance classes, I have two left feet." Adam admitted shamefully.

"You're doing just fine." She encouraged him and she felt someone staring at her. Grace looked over Adam's shoulder to see Damon watching them like a hawk with Caroline by his side. Damon gave Grace a smoldering smirk and a snarky wave. Grace rolled her eyes and Damon turned his smirk to a sweet smile. In turn, Grace gave him a smile and a nod of her head. She promised Damon she'd start over for his sake and she would try to be more civil around him.

"He's jealous." Adam's voice brought her back to earth.

"What?" She asked meeting his eyes once again.

"He wants to dance with you." Adam explained and Grace shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, he could man up and just ask me." Grace said, "But I think his pride is stopping him and not to mention I don't need Caroline going after me."

Adam chuckled "I agree. It's bad enough I had to dance with her."

"Sorry about that. I'm glad to see you're still with us." She giggled.

"Yep I'm not going anywhere. Oh by the way, what did Damon have to talk to you about?" He asked while twirling her.

"He apologized for the other night and he explained some stuff about the original Salvatore brothers. It was really interesting but so tragic. Hearing Damon talk about it I felt this wave of heartbreak wash over me. Like I wanted to cry from the internal pain I was feeling from him." She explained and Adam raised an eyebrow.

"You felt that from him?" He asked and Grace nodded.

"It makes me almost feel bad for him." She said sadly and looked over Adam's shoulder to see that both Damon and Caroline were gone. "Oh, I meant to ask you. That healing thing, that you did at the game, how did you do that?" She asked quietly.

"Oh…_that_…look Grace, I can't really tell you about that. It's too soon." He said slowly and Grace frowned. He now seemed almost as secretive as Damon and Stefan and she didn't like that.

"What exactly are you hiding from me, Adam?" She asked seriously and all Alexander could do was shake his head.

"A lot. I want to be honest with you Grace, it's just…I can't. Not right now, at least. I promise that when the time is right I'll tell you." He said sincerely and Grace nodded sadly. Why did it seem like everyone in this town had their secrets. However she did take in the fact that Adam was trying to be honest with her. She was just sick of the secrets.

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><p>Grace walked into the bathroom to see Elena and Caroline touching up their makeup. Elena looked less than pleased while Caroline looked her normal dimwitted self. Grace took a counter space next to Caroline and plopped her makeup bag on the hard surface.<p>

"Someone doesn't look happy." Caroline said cheerfully and Grace had to restrain herself from pummeling Caroline.

"I'm fine, Caroline. Just please leave me alone." Grace huffed and started to apply her lip gloss while Caroline just shrugged her shoulders. Looking at Caroline in the mirror, Grace noticed that she'd been wearing another one of her scarves. It seemed odd to her that someone would be wearing a scarf to this kind of an affair. The scarf in question shifted on Caroline's neck and Grace saw a deep purple bruise peeking out from under the fabric. Grace's eyes widened and went to move the scarf.

"Caroline! What is that?" She asked loudly while pulling at the fabric but Caroline slapped her hands away.

"It's nothing!" She said defensively but Grace wasn't having it. She ripped off Caroline's scarf with one quick movement to see dark marks all over Caroline's neck. Elena was no aware of what was going on and joined in the banter.

"Oh my God! Caroline, what happened?" She yelled and inspected the marks just as Grace was. They looked like teeth marks. One was deeper than the next. Grace then lifted up the back of Caroline's shawl to see more bite marks covering her back and shoulder blades. She ran her fingers over the marks and a vision hit her. It was of Damon and Caroline engaged in a fiery passion before Damon reared his head back and bit into Caroline's skin. Her shrill scream pierced Grace's ears and Elena's interrogation brought Grace back into reality.

"Did someone do this to you?" Elena asked.

"No! It's nothing! Just leave me alone!" Caroline screamed back.

"Did Damon do this? Did Damon hurt you, Caroline?" Grace asked now getting more and more irate.

"No, of course not! Just leave me alone!" Caroline shrieked, grabbing her things and running out of the bathroom. Grace ran after her and Elena followed her, hot on her heels. However Grace wasn't looking for Caroline. Grace's eyes landed on Damon and she shoved him hard.

"What the hell was that for?" Damon said angrily.

"You think we're all idiots?" Grace yelled and Elena had finally caught up with her.

"I have not a clue of what you're talking about." Damon replied in a snarky tone.

"Those marks all over Caroline? There is seriously something wrong with you! Stay away from her or else I'll tell her mother, the sheriff! Got it?" She screamed and Damon's face didn't change at all.

"How could you think that _I _would do that to Caroline?" He smirked.

"Because I saw you!" Grace said and Damon's face seemed to pale while Elena was just confused.

"What do you mean 'you saw him'?" Elena asked and Grace just shook her head back and forth. She couldn't tell them that she had a vision. They'd think she was a freak! But that vision was the only evidence she had on Damon.

"I...I don't know." Grace said quietly before running off. Damon moved to go after her but Elena stepped in front of him.

"I swear, Damon if you go near them I will tell Caroline mother, the sheriff! Got it? Stay away from them!" She snapped angrily and walked off to find Grace sitting on a marble bench somewhere on the grounds with her face in her hands. Elena sat next to her and rubbed her hand over her back in a comforting motion.

"What the hell is going on, Elena?" Grace cried, lifting her head to look at Elena.

"I don't know. What did you mean when you said that you 'saw' Damon?" Elena asked again.

"It's just – oh god you'll think I'm such a freak! I get these visions sometimes and when I touched Caroline I saw him bite Caroline! I don't know how to explain it but I know! I saw it happen!" Grace sobbed harder. Elena just sat there in shock and tried to comfort Grace as best as she could.

* * *

><p>Damon sank his fangs into Caroline's neck and held the blonde tightly from collapsing on the ground. Tonight was just not his night. Grace somehow found out that he was the cause for the bites on Caroline. Because of her his and Stefan's secret could be revealed to the entire town and it would be 1864 all over again. After Caroline his next move was to go after Grace. She needed to be silenced and fast. However the burning taste of vervain slipped down his throat and he dropped Caroline's body on the floor in a heap before collapsing himself.<p>

"What the hell…" He rasped before he felt the vervain encase his body. Out of the darkness he saw Stefan emerge in all his pride. He finally did it. He finally could lock away Damon for good and no one would be subject to his toying.

* * *

><p>Grace trudged down the street with her heels in her hands and tears streaming down her face. Tonight was horrible. She left the party after talking with Elena and didn't let anyone know she was leaving. She was supposed to get a ride home for Adam since he drove her there but she didn't really want to speak to him. He was hiding something and she knew it. She didn't want any part of his secrets. She kept walking until she reached an alleyway behind some shops when she heard some guy's cat calling her.<p>

"Hey baby! Wanna chill with us?" One asked and Grace walked faster. "Aww come on, don't run away! We're gonna have a lot of fun!" Another said. Grace picked up her feet and started running before another two men came out from behind a dumpster. She was trapped.

"Just leave me alone!" She yelled trying to make her voice sound strong but it came out as a whimper. The men closed in on her, two held her arms while the other two were trying to rip her clothes off her body. Grace kicked one of her legs out, effectively hitting him in the mouth. He reared his hand back and punched her hard.

"Dumb bitch!" He yelled and spit in her face. Grace still continued to fight back but the gleam of a knife stopped her squirming. One of them traced the knife over her cheek before moving down her neck and then to her stomach.

"Please don't." She pleaded but they didn't want to hear her pleas. He stabbed her and one of the men holding her arms covered her mouth to muffle the screams. They all snickered at her pain when they twisted the knife in her skin. Grace managed to catch one of the man's' faces when they saw her blood drip down her body. His eyes were red with spidery veins webbing around his eyes. The last thing she saw were his fanglike teeth before he bit into her skin and she blacked out.

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><p><strong>Oh no! What's gonna happen to Grace? Will someone come to her rescue? Review to find out :]<strong>


	4. You're Undead To Me

**AN #1: Yes I did change Alexander's name to Adam so just keep that in mind.**

**AN #2: I'm losing inspiration in this story so I'm sure how long I'll keep it going.**

**AN #3: A BIG thank you to everyone who is showing this story support! Love you all :)**

**I own nothing of TVD's only Grace and my story.**

* * *

><p>"Grace! Grace, I need you to open your eyes for me!" A muffled voice yelled above her. She groaned out loud, trying to push the voice out of her head. "I know you can hear me, Grace!" The voice yelled again and Grace could match the voice to a face. She opened her eyes to see Adam kneeling above her. His facial expression changed from one of fear to one of relief. He let out a breath and moved some of her hair off of her face.<p>

"Adam?" She rasped out, her voice still weak from not using it. She squinted her eyes, trying to focus. "Am I dead?" She asked and Adam chuckled.

"No, you're very much alive." He answered and the memories from last night rushed back to her. She bolted up quickly.

"Oh my God! Those men in the alley!" She said to no one in particular.

"Shh, it's alright! Calm down!" Adam gripped her firmly by her shoulders. "They're gone. They'll never bother you again, Grace." He explained and Grace took the time to see that she was back in her bedroom and not that terrifying alley. She took a deep breath to relax her heart rate and Adam moved away from her. Grace felt a dull pain in her stomach from the knife wound she received and lifted up her shirt to see that there was no wound there. No scratch, not even a scar. She whipped back around to face Adam with a look of utter disbelief on her face.

"He-he stabbed me. I know he did!" Grace blubbered and Adam just looked at her. "What happened to me?" She asked him directly and Adam's eyes finally came up to meet hers.

"Grace, do you believe in angels?" He asked her and her eyes widened.

"What?" She scoffed. What kind of a question was that?

"That's my secret. I'm an earthbound angel." He said and Grace couldn't believe her ears.

"No, stop trying to be funny Adam! It's not funny!" She shrieked.

"I'm telling you the truth. You're the only person who knows." He defended.

"Prove it!" She demanded and he stood his ground. "Prove it to me!" She repeated. Adam sighed and pulled his dress shirt from his body and Grace took the chance to steal a glance at his chiseled chest. He closed his eyes and like magic, two majestic, white wings sprouted from his back. Grace found herself absolutely speechless. They were beautiful. He was beautiful.

"It's real, Grace. Everything you've ever known about supernatural beings is real." He explained but Grace couldn't take her eyes off his wings. She willed her feet to move and stand behind him to examine them more closely and saw that they were very much real. She placed her hand over his shoulder blade and felt him shiver underneath her touch. Grace backed away like she touched a hot stove.

"Did I hurt you?" She asked quietly.

"No, it just…felt good." He muttered and pressed his wings against his back and Grace watched them seep beneath his skin like they were never there. Adam turned to face her and he could tell she was still confused.

"How?" She asked.

"It's a gift, Grace. I can't really explain it. My father was one and now I am. I guess it's passed down through the generations." He explained and Grace nodded.

"How did you heal me?" She asked feeling her sore stomach again.

"A perk of being a Guardian." He said simply and she wrinkled her nose.

"A Guardian?" She inquired.

"That's what this race of the supernatural is called. We're not really angels, more like protectors of the human race." He explained.

"Wow…" Grace hushed, still in disbelief.

"I'm sorry for keeping this from you, Grace. You're the only one who knows about this. I don't care if you never wanna see me again but…please don't tell anyone about this." He pleaded and Grace looked up to meet his warm brown eyes.

"Adam…I would _never_ just stop talking to you because of this." She said softly and Adam smiled. "It's just a lot to take in." Grace added.

"I know. Can you promise me something?" He asked her seriously and Grace nodded. "Stay away from the Salvatore brothers. They're dangerous." He heeded warningly.

"Wait! I saw all these bites on Caroline and I had a vision that Damon was _biting_ her." Grace confessed and Adam tensed visibly. "What are they, Adam?" She asked warily, not really wanting an answer but she needed one.

"They're vampires." He answered slowly and Grace felt her breath catch.

"No…" Grace hushed and Adam just nodded. "Do you think Stefan would hurt Elena?" She asked with tears in her eyes and fear in her heart for her dear friend.

"I don't think Stefan is the one to worry about." Adam stated and Grace raised her eyebrow. "Do you trust me?" He asked, holding out his hand for Grace to take. She nodded wordlessly and gripped his hand firmly. With a rush of wind she found herself in a dark cell of some sort. The space was small and Grace could hear someone's harsh breathing. She looked down to see a very weak Damon writhing on the floor.

"Damon?" Grace hushed, kneeling down to crouch over him.

"He can't hear you. Another perk to being a Guardian. He'll only hear you if you let him in." Adam explained.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked seeing Damon skin feverish and sweaty. Adam went to speak but shut himself up when he head Stefan come down the stairs. "He did this?" Grace said to herself as Stefan's face emerged from the other side of the door.

"Where's my ring?" Damon rasped out.

"Won't be needing it anymore." Stefan said simply.

"What are you doing?" Damon choked.

"During the dark ages when a vampire's actions threatened to expose or bring harm upon the entire race, they would face judgment. They sought to reeducate them rather than to punish them." Stefan explained solemnly.

"You know what will happen if I don't…feed on blood." Damon hushed. So it's true that the both of them were vampires.

"You'll grow weaker and weaker. Eventually you won't be able to move or speak. In a week your skin will desiccate and you'll mummify. A living corpse. Unable to hurt anyone. Ever." Stefan explained. Grace couldn't help feeling sorry for Damon.

"So what…you're just going to leave me in the basement forever?" Damon questioned.

"I've injected you with enough vervain to keep you weak. Once your circulation stops, I'll move you to the family crypt, and then in 50 years we can reevaluate." Stefan spoke without an ounce of emotion.

"I'm stronger than you think." Damon rasped.

"You've always been but you're not stronger than the vervain." Stefan said, "I'm sorry, Damon." He added before moving up the stairs. Grace and Adam were still in the cell when Damon tried to pull himself up to sit against the wall. He huffed, using the strength he had left and Grace tried to help him but Adam held her wrist.

"Leave him." He said seriously.

"He's in pain!" Grace hissed and tore her wrist from his grip but Adam rushed them back to her room before she could get a word in edgewise. "Why didn't you let me help him?" She yelled angrily at him.

"His behavior is why he's down there."

"It's still not right!"

"He's killed people, Grace!" Adam yelled back at her. "Those 'animal attacks' in Mystic Falls are all because of him!" Grace was frozen with fear. She didn't have time to give him answer when her phone buzzed with a message from Caroline about the 'Sexy Suds' carwash at the high school.

"Look, I gotta go…help Caroline at the school." Grace muttered.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later." Adam said and turned to leave but stopped himself, "Remember what I said about the Salvatore's." He added and Grace nodded. Adam left through her bedroom window and Grace heard a knock at the door.

"Sweetie? I'm going up the school to get my car washed. You need a ride?" Her mom spoke, opening the door.

"No, I was planning on going a little later." Grace said and her mom nodded before leaving. The teen tossed the idea around in her for a little bit before heading over to the boarding house.

* * *

><p>Stepping into the Salvatore boarding house, Grace felt like she was in some creepy horror movie. She was just waiting for something to jump out and grab her. Grace heard a shuffling noise coming from downstairs and she followed the sound but someone gripped her from behind.<p>

"No! Don't go down there!" The man pleaded and Grace guessed it was Damon and Stefan's uncle, Zach.

"Where is Damon?" Grace asked but Zach didn't answer her. Instead he ran downstairs with Grace hot on his heels.

"Open the door. Open the door." Damon chanted weakly and Caroline moved to open the door but Grace shoved her out of the way.

"Caroline, no!" She screamed but Caroline unlatched the lock. Zach pushed both girls out of the way and Grace made sure Caroline got out of the basement first. She turned back in time to see Damon snaps Zach's neck like it was nothing. Damon's hungry gaze locked on Grace and she pushed her feet to run. Reaching the stairs she jumped up them, two by two, until Damon gripped her ankle. Grace held onto the banister as Damon tugged her leg hard and she went flying back down the stairs. Her back scraped down the cement steps, effectively scratching her skin. Damon hovered over her and his eyes went black from smelling her blood seeping from the open wounds on her back. He hissed at her, his fangs now showing.

"Please don't do this!" Grace whimpered.

"I'm so hungry." Damon moaned and bent down to rip into her neck. In a last stitch effort, Grace placed her hands on Damon's chest to push him back and his skin started to burn. The vampire screamed in agony, giving Grace her opportunity to run. Ignoring the pain in her back she pushed herself to the limit. She reached the landing of the first floor and looked back to see Damon running close behind her. Grace navigated through the first floor till she found the front door. Damon was now closer than ever. She flung open the door, feeling the sunlight hit her skin and Damon started to scream once again and cover his face from the sun. Grace was over the threshold when she turned around to see Damon's skin burning from the sun. She ran and never looked back.

* * *

><p>"Elena! Hey it's me. Please give me a call <em>as soon as you get this<em>." Grace hung up her phone after leaving her friend a message. She ran her fingers through her hair nervously just waiting to hear back from Elena. What if Stefan hurt her? Grace would kill him. Even if he was a vampire she would kill him. Grace pulled up the back of her shirt to examine her back to see it was pretty scratched up and bloody. She'd kick Damon's ass if he ever got out of that cell. But what happened when she touched him and he started screaming? Maybe it was just her imagination but her conscious kept telling her it was right. She cleaned up her back with all the band aids she could find in her bathroom and was ready to turn in for the night when she heard some urgent knocks at the front door. She bolted down the stairs and opened the door to see a very distressed Elena.

"I know, Elena. I know what they are." Grace said sadly and welcomed a shaky Elena into her arms.

"I was so scared, Grace." She sobbed and Grace held her friend closely. Vampires in Mystic Falls – who would have thought?

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><p><strong>I know it's short and terrible but I'm kinda losing inspiration for this story. I will keep it going as long as possible. So please REVIEW!<strong>


	5. Lost Girls

**Another chapter for ya'll! Thanks for all the favorites, alerts, messages and reviews! I love you all so much! Please review :)**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p><em>Damon poured the rest of the alcohol over the bodies he drained before lighting a match and burning them. He heard groaning nearby and it was coming from the girl he drained first. She was still alive but barely.<em>

"_You just don't wanna die, do you?" He said with amusement in his voice. The girl on the floor just moaned in response._

Grace bolted up from her sleep in a frenzy. That was definitely a vision and apparently Damon got out of the house. She knew the body of the girl Damon was talking to. It was Vicki Donavan. Her and Grace were on the same dance team when they were younger. She was a good girl but things had changed. Vicki, unfortunately, turned to drugs to deal with her problems at home. Right now Grace couldn't worry about Vicki; she was going with Elena to a coffee shop in town to meet Stefan. Both girls knew Stefan and Damon were vampires but Grace was in no position to leave Elena alone.

"How do you know about vampires, Grace?" Stefan asked curiously and Grace had to choose her words carefully. She couldn't tell them about Adam and his secrets.

"I went to the boarding house and Damon tried to eat me." She said simply and Stefan shook his head.

"I am sorry for anything my brother's done to hurt you." Grace just shrugged her shoulders. She was trying to give as less information she could about herself.

"I can tell you girls whatever you wanna know." Stefan said honestly.

"I know you eat garlic." Elena said and Stefan nodded. "And somehow, sunlight's not an issue?" She probed.

"We have rings the protect us." Stefan stated. _Ah, so that's why Damon burned when he tried to run outside_.

"Crucifixes?" Elena asked.

"Decorative."

"Holy water?" Grace interrupted.

"Drinkable."

"Mirrors?" Grace and Elena asked at the same time and Stefan chuckled.

"Myth."

"Looks like no one is safe anymore." Grace muttered quietly but Stefan was able to catch it.

"I don't kill to survive. I drink animal blood. It keeps me alive but I'm not as strong as Damon." Stefan explained and on cue, Grace's phone buzzed with a text from Adam.

_Hey! You doing anything today?_

Grace read the text over while Elena and Stefan were talking about Damon compelling Caroline to forget that he bit her. Apparently vampires had some kind of mind control thing. _Great._ She quickly sent back a reply; she wanted to talk to him about her visions.

"Are there any others? Aside from you and Damon?" Grace heard Elena ask.

"Not in Mystic Falls. Not anymore." Stefan replied and Grace had to hold her tongue. She knew those men that attacked her were vampires but then she'd have to explain how she healed so fast. Bad idea.

"Listen guys, this has been fun but I gotta go. I have class." Grace butted in, standing up she gave a glance to Elena. "Are you alright?" She asked and Elena nodded. Grace saw Stefan's face drop, knowing she didn't trust him. Grace started to walk to her car when she heard Stefan calling after her. She turned to face him and set her jaw.

"I know you don't trust me and you have every right not to." Stefan started. "I would _never_ hurt Elena." He said sincerely and Grace's hard stare softened a little seeing so much love in his eyes for her friend. "She means so much to me."

"Vampires can die right?" Grace suddenly asked and Stefan was taken aback by her question.

"Yes they can."

"Good, because if you hurt Elena, I'll kill you. Damon is already on my shit list so it would be smart for you to stay off of it." Grace said heatedly. She was really serious and Stefan's gaze faltered once again.

"I'll hold you to that promise. I don't think I could ever live with myself if I hurt her." He said genuinely and Grace felt herself turning to mush once again. He really did love her, with all of his _undead_ being. "Just please stay away from Damon. He's dangerous and so much stronger than I am." He added and Grace nodded. "Remind Elena to have me get you some vervain. You can put it in jewelry or your drinks. It repels a vampire's compulsion."

"Thank you, Stefan." Grace said sweetly. At least he wanted to help them, unlike Damon who just wanted to drain his town dry.

* * *

><p>"Is your back bothering you?" Adam asked out of the blue and Grace stiffened. Had he gotten a vision of her going to the Salvatore's? The two of them had been just hanging out at her house for a little while. Grace's mom was out, saying something about running errands.<p>

"Yeah, I…fell down my stairs last night." She replied while placing a bowl of chips down on the island in the kitchen. "I wish I would have seen that coming." She joked and Adam chuckled. "How did you know?" Grace asked and Adam tapped his temple with a knowing look on his face. "Shoulda known." Grace said with a smile.

"Guardian's can feel other people's pain whether it be emotional or physical."

"Like when I felt Damon's?" She questioned and Adam nodded. Grace turned to get some drinks from the fridge and she stopped mid motion, her back throbbed in pain.

"Are you alright?" Adam asked with concern written all over his handsome face.

"Yeah it just hurts." Grace said through gritted teeth.

"Can I see it?" He asked and Grace raised her eyebrows at him. "Can I?" He asked again and Grace gave him a nod. She carefully slid her bomber jacket off her shoulders, with Adam's help, and moved her curls over one shoulder. Her tank top gave Adam a clear view of the damage. He moved his hands over the bruised area and Grace flinched. "That hurts?" He asked and she whimpered in response. "I'm gonna heal it, okay?" Grace nodded and Adam placed his hands on her upper back as softly as he could. Unfortunately her bruises stretched to underneath the fabric of her shirt. His hands moved to the hem of her shirt and she looked over her shoulder at him. "I can't see the rest of it." He said honestly and Grace gave him a low laugh.

"I think you just wanna see me with my shirt off." She smirked and went to help him with the shirt. Adam discarded her shirt to see that her lower back was banged up even worse.

"You got yourself good, didn't you?" He mused and gently placed his hands back on her upper back. The warm tingling Grace felt from him that night at the game was creeping up on her body again. She closed her eyes and let it wash over her. Adam watched the purple bruises and aggravated scratches fade before seeing her perfect skin turn back to normal. Grace sighed feeling the warming sensation leave her body and she shivered when the cold air hit her skin. Adam's hands moved lower, momentarily ghosting over her bra and landed on her lower back. It would take a little longer to heal since the wounds were worse. He focused harder and the warmth burst over Grace's skin. She gasped; it felt so good on her skin. She unintentionally arched her back and quietly moaned as goose bumps prickled all over her skin. Adam wasn't stopping her reactions whatsoever. Grace was a beautiful girl and she was special…in more ways than one. Once Adam was done healing her, Grace came to her senses. She turned to face him with a deep blush on her face.

"I…I'm sorry. I just…" She trailed off but Adam placed his finger on her lips. He wasn't even healing her but Grace felt a little warm tingle just from his finger. She looked up at him through heavy lidded eyes before her gaze settled on his lips. Adam removed his finger and bent his head down, his lips just millimeters from hers. Grace's eyes fluttered closed, waiting for his lips to press against hers.

"Grace?" The teen's eyes snapped open and turned to see her mother with a less than pleasant look on her face. After all she was shirtless in her kitchen getting ready to kiss a boy.

"Mom…" Grace started and crossed her arms over her body but her mother's eyes drifted to the young man standing behind her daughter.

"Adam?" She questioned and he nodded.

"Mrs. Clark." He acknowledged her and now it was Grace's turn to be confused.

"You know my mom?" She asked.

"My father and your mother are old family friends." He explained.

"Well…this has been ridiculously awkward. I'm gonna go…change." Grace muttered. She took her shirt and her jacket upstairs, all the while trying to hide the look of pure embarrassment off her face. Once Diana heard her daughter's bedroom door close, she looked over the young man who was still standing in her kitchen.

"As strange as it was coming home to see you and my daughter in my kitchen, it's nice to see you Adam." She said sternly.

"Likewise, Mrs. Clark."

"I had no idea you and Grace were friends, small world." She added. "I assume she knows about you?" Adam nodded "I was just healing her back."

"Looks like that's not all you were doing." Diana said firmly. "But thank you though. Grace has been complaining that he back was bothering her." She added. "How's your father?" Diana asked.

"He doing well. He's away on business." Adam replied and Diana nodded while moving into the kitchen to grab herself a bottle of water from the fridge. "You haven't told her?" Adam's question made Diana freeze in her spot. She turned to the young man with a glare on her face.

"No…and I don't plan on it." She said sternly.

"She's already starting to show some signs." Adam said and Diana leaned her elbows on the island. She rubbed her temples with her fingers and let out a breath.

"I know…I've tried everything to reverse the process but she keeps getting stronger." Diana muttered tiredly. "I just wanna keep her safe."

"You're hurting her by not telling her." Adam said and Diana couldn't help but agree. She'd have to tell her soon, just not now. They both heard Grace coming down the stairs and they switched their conversation to something much more mundane. Grace came into the kitchen and gave an awkward smile to the pair.

"Well, Adam, if you speak to your father, tell him I say hello and I'll update him with anything new that goes on at the office." Diana said and Adam nodded.

"It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Clark." He said modestly and made his way to the door.

"I'll walk you out." Grace offered and he let her. She opened the front door and they stood awkwardly by it.

"So…" Grace started.

"So…" Adam echoed just as awkwardly. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." He stated and Grace nodded.

"Sure." Adam smiled and went to walk out the door when a hand on his sleeve stopped him. Grace stood on her tippy toes and kissed Adam on the cheek. "Thank you." She said sweetly.

"No problem." Adam said with a smile and he walked to his car. Grace closed the door behind her to see her mother standing there.

"Look, mom – "

"I can't say I'm pleased with you, Grace." Diana interrupted and Grace went quiet. She knew she was in for it. _Goodbye social life, Hello grounded._ "But…you're lucky he's someone I know and like." Diana had to pick her words carefully; she couldn't let Grace know that she knew about Adam. "I respect Adam and for all the times I've met him he's been very respectful to me." Grace's mouth nearly dropped to the floor. Why wasn't her mom punishing her? She'd always been a good girl, played by the rules but when she misbehaved her mom was strict with her. "Consider this time a warning." Her mom said and Grace nodded.

"I'm sorry Mom. I _really_ am." Grace said honestly and hugged her mom. Diana returned the gesture and smiled back at her daughter. Her little girl was growing up, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

><p>Grace stood on the doorstep of the Salvatore house and took a deep breath. It was the afternoon so it was still light out. She knew this was stupid but she had to confront Damon. On her way here she had another vision and Vicki was here. Grace turned the doorknob to find it open and she pushed the door inward, letting the light illuminate the foyer of the boarding house. She clutched the vervain in her hand and stepped over the threshold, still being mindful to stay in the rays of sunlight.<p>

"Damon?" She called out cautiously.

"I was wondering when you'd come back." His voice spoke from the shadows. She was able to see him but he stayed put in his spot.

"Where is Vicki?" Grace asked and Damon smirked at her.

"Gone." He said simply.

"What do you mean she's 'gone'?"

"She's at Elena's." He answered. "Which begs my next question, how did you know she was here?" He asked with a smirk.

"Intuition." She said and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Don't gimme that intuition crap! I know you get these 'visions'." Damon snapped while placing air quotes around the word 'visions'. "And I know your little friend gets them too." He added.

"And I know that you and Stefan are vampires. Looks like we both have secrets to keep." She answered and Damon made his way closer to her, making sure to stay in the shadows.

"What would all your friends think of you if they knew about your little _secret_?" He asked with a snarky tone.

"I'm pretty sure the whole town would be running with their pitchforks if they knew _your_ secret." Grace replied just as snidely.

"Touché." Damon said with a smirk.

"Okay so my friends would think I was a freak, then I'd just pack up and move somewhere else."

"Aww, don't be like that. I like you, Grace. You've got spunk." Damon winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Coming from someone who almost bit me yesterday." She scoffed.

"Well I couldn't help that." He said nonchalantly while shrugging his shoulders and moving closer. "You just smelled _so delicious_." Grace couldn't help herself from going weak at the knees at his seductive tone. She couldn't lie, Damon was very attractive – he was just an ass.

"Yeah, thanks for messing up my back, by the way." Grace said rudely.

"Ooh yeah, sorry about that. I bet it was all bloody and banged up." Damon felt his gums ache just thinking about sinking his teeth into Grace's bloody back. She saw his eyes cloud over and held up the sprigs of vervain.

"Don't even think about it!" She hissed and Damon took a couple steps back, his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, I deserve that, but I don't think you need that vervain with that burning trick you pulled yesterday." Grace just glared at him. "Can't explain that either?" He quipped.

"No. And when I do, you better watch your back." She bit back.

"Feisty. I like it." Damon smirked and Grace's phone buzzed.

_Where are you?_ _Vicki is transitioning into a vampire. _It was from Elena.

"You turned her?" Grace asked angrily.

"Yup." Damon said popping the 'p'.

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" She hissed.

"Oh come on. The girl will thank me."

"Did you thank the person who turned you?" Grace bit and Damon rushed to run at her but he got burned by the sun. He yelled out and stepped back into his spot in the shadows. Grace saw that the sun was setting and she didn't have much time left until Damon could come after her with no restrictions.

"For your information, Katherine was the one who turned Stefan and me." He said angrily and Grace frowned. She knew that was a soft spot with him but it wasn't right that Damon wanted to screw up Vicki's life. Grace's phone buzzed with another message from Elena.

"I'm sorry, Damon." She said sincerely and turned to leave.

"Tell Stefan, that I'm looking for him and I want my ring." Damon said menacingly and Grace felt a shiver run down her spine before she closed the door behind her.

* * *

><p>By the time Grace pulled up to Elena's house it was night time. She quickly ran in to hear that Vicki was gone once again. Stefan explained that she needed to feed on blood in order to complete the transition or she'll die. Stefan and Grace were in the kitchen alone when Grace had a vision.<p>

_It was dark and there was female whimpering in the air. A girl was sitting underneath a tree with tears streaming down her face. It was Vicki._

"I know where she is." Grace said in a hushed whisper.

"What?" Stefan asked her.

"I know where Vicki is." She repeated and Stefan's eyes widened.

"How?"

"You have to trust me, Stefan. I see things." Grace said vaguely.

"Tell me, I'm going to look for her."

"No, I'm going with you!" Grace said.

"You can't, Grace. Vicki is very unstable right now." Stefan tried to reason with her but Grace wasn't having it.

"I know where she is, Stefan. I can help you." Grace pleaded and Stefan stared her down for a while before giving in.

"Fine. Where is she?"

* * *

><p>The pair quickly made their way to the cemetery where Vicki was when Grace was hit with another vision. Stefan saw her stop moving and asked what she saw.<p>

"I saw Caroline's mom and…that news guy, Logan Fell. They're here." She said trying to sort it out in her head. "He's got something in his hands…a watch?" She groped, wishing her vision stayed for a little longer. "It's…pointing towards something." She uttered before the two of them heard sniffles in the night air. Low and behold there was Vicki, crying under a tree.

"Oh my God, Vicki." Grace whispered and the troubled teen looked up.

"Grace…" She hushed and Stefan bent down to her level. "I'm starting to remember things. They're all coming back to me." She cried.

"I am so sorry. Damon had no right to do that to you." Stefan said honestly. Grace's blood boiled just thinking that Damon could be so cruel and insensitive to other people.

"I don't want this." Vicki sobbed and Grace placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I wanna go home. Can you take me home?" She asked and Stefan nodded. They all moved to leave the dark cemetery when loud gunshots pierced the air. Stefan ground and fell to the ground. Grace turned to see Logan Fell with a gun in one hand and the watch Grace saw in her vision resting in his other hand. Vicki stood against the tree and Logan raised the gun to shoot Grace, thinking she was a vampire since she was with Stefan - the next moments happened so fast.

"No! Don't!" She pleaded, trying to convince Logan that she wasn't a vampire. Logan was ready to pull the trigger when out of nowhere; Damon came from behind Logan and bit his neck. The news reporter crumpled to the ground and Grace let out a breath of relief however she wouldn't expect Damon to be her knight in shining black armor. Stefan's groaning alerted the group and Damon bent down to pull the bullet from his chest. Grace had to turn her head away, not really wanting to see or hear this.

"It's wood." Damon said looking at the bloodied bullets. "They know. If anyone's gonna kill you, it's gonna be me." Damon smirked and then held his hand out. "My ring, please." Stefan groaned in pain but managed to get Damon's ring out of his pocket and hand it to him. Meanwhile, Grace was watching Vicki who was watching the blood seep from Logan's neck. Vicki moved to crouch but Grace held her back.

"No! Vicki, don't!" She said but Vicki pushed her to the ground and drank from the news reporter's neck. Stefan's pleas made Vicki pull back. She had a look of remorse on her face as she wiped her lips.

"I'm sorry." She muttered sadly before turning on her heel and running away.

"Oops." Damon said, looking over the mess he just made.

* * *

><p>Stefan went back to Elena's house to inform her about Vicki while Grace drove to the boarding house. After the incident in the woods, Damon had left but Grace needed to find him. He saved her life tonight – if it weren't for him, she'd be dead. She knocked on the front door of the mansion and Damon opened it.<p>

"Hi." She said briskly.

"Hello _Miss Clark_." He said condescendingly. Why was it she'd come again?

"Look, tonight, you saved me." She started

"I didn't have to." He butted in.

"No…you didn't, but you did. And I wanna say thanks."

"You're welcome." He said sincerely. "I like having you around, Grace." He added with a smirk and he nudged her shoulder with his fist playfully, causing a smile to spread across her lips. "You wanna come inside? Have a drink? Get naked and spend all night and the early morning having rough sex?" He smirked and Grace rolled her eyes but ended up laughing a little.

"No thanks, Damon. Maybe some other time." She smirked back at him, turning on her heel and walking back to her car. Maybe Damon wasn't so bad after all, sure he was an ass but he was opening up to her. His walls were coming down around him but he didn't fight it. Part of him wanted to break down all the walls he'd built up over the years and the other part of him wanted to run from her. He watched her leave and wished silently that she stayed with him but that thought vanished once he closed the door behind him. He was a vampire, he couldn't wrap himself up in a human girl…or could he?

* * *

><p><strong>Hmm looks like we might have a little bit of a love triangle between Adam, Grace and Damon. Please review to keep me going<strong>


	6. Haunted

**Sorry that I am taking so long to update with this story! My inspiration keeps running away from me and I am also juggling my sequel and school work -_- but enough of my complaining! Here's the next one.**

**Please REVIEWW!**

**I own nothing of TVD's only Grace and my story.**

* * *

><p>Grace heard a couple wolf whistles and cat calls from the guys at the bar when she entered the Grill. She rolled her eyes and didn't give them a second glance. On any other night she wouldn't have gotten that much attention but since it was the night of the Halloween dance she was in her costume. Grace decided to be the Sugar Plum Fairy because she played the part a couple of years ago. She was surprised the costume still fit. The top of the bodice had a sweetheart neckline and started off white before it faded to a lilac then to a deep rich purple color. The tutu did the same except it faded to white towards the bottom edges. She added a pair of lilac colored wings and pale pink ballet flats to complete the ensemble. Her make was done simply with the same shades of purple from the costume and light specks of sparkles dusted her cheeks.<p>

"Hey sweetheart." One guy at the bar stopped her, clearly a little tanked. Grace turned to look at him but she was surprised to see Damon there with the guy.

"Beat it, creep." Damon said lowly and the guy left without another word.

"Thanks. That's twice you've saved my butt now." Grace joked.

"I think I deserve something for my efforts." Damon smirked.

"Oh, really?" Grace raised her eyebrow at him and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What's that?"

"I can think of a few things."

"Third time's a charm, Damon." Grace smirked. "So uh, how's Vicki?" She asked quietly.

"She's adjusting nicely." Damon said simply.

"Why did you do it anyway?"

"I was…bored." Damon said finally after thinking of the right word.

"Bored? Damon why out of all things would you turn her if you were bored?" Grace asked heatedly. "Boredom is a really stupid reason to turn someone into a vampire."

"So sue me."

"That's two people who you've hurt in this town. First Caroline-"

"Oh can we not talk about her. Just thinking about her voice makes me cringe." Damon said snidely.

"You used her as a personal blood bag!"

"Yeah and now I need a new one. You offering?" He smirked and Grace rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Grace. You smelled so good I'd love to taste you." He whispered huskily and Grace felt her knees turn into jelly. "I know that I'm very hard to resist and you put up a strong front but I know that you dream about me." He added.

"Adam told me that vampires can access people's dreams." Grace shut him down.

"Oh, so you're friend knows I'm a vampire." He smirked.

"He's loaded on vervain so don't even think about it!"

"Why would I want him when I can have you?" Damon asked her seriously and she found herself falling for his bad boy charm but a voice pulled her from the haze known as Damon Salvatore.

"Grace? Grace Clark?" A woman asked sitting at a table and the teen turned to face her.

"Oh hello, Mrs. Lockwood! I'm so sorry I didn't see you before." The teen apologized.

"Don't worry about it dear. I love your costume!" Carol gushed.

"Thanks. I was actually headed over to chaperone the party at the high school."

"How nice. Would you like to sit and have a drink with me?" Mrs. Lockwood offered.

"Oh no thank you. I'm driving tonight."

"No worries. I'll drive you, Grace." Damon's voice came from behind her.

"Aren't you Damon? Caroline's girlfriend?" Mrs. Lockwood said.

"Yes, that was me. I had to let her down easy." Damon said and gave Grace a little shove into the booth where he then sat next to her. The vampire placed his hand on Grace's bare knee and squeezed lightly, making her jolt a little. Grace slapped his hand away.

"Your last name is Salvatore, right?" Carol asked and Damon nodded. "Are you related to Zach?"

"Zach's my uncle. How do you know Zach?" He asked and Grace saw his pupils dilate and contract much like the night of the game. He was compelling Mrs. Lockwood.

"Are you alright?" Mrs. Lockwood asked seeing his eyes dance and Damon shook his head. Looks like it didn't work on her.

"Yeah…there's something in my eye." He made up some lame excuse and rubbed his eyes.

"I know Zach from the council." Carol mentioned.

"Yes, Zach went out of town for a little bit but if you needed to talk about the vervain…"

"You know about the vervain?" Mrs. Lockwood inquired and Damon nodded.

"And Grace here knows about it too. So there's no need to keep it quiet around her." Damon offered and placed and arm around Grace. "So you need vervain?" Damon asked.

"Yes, Zach promised us that he could supply us with more." The conversation went on like this back and forth. Damon would flirt with Mrs. Lockwood and vice versa. It was nice having Damon's arm around her but it made her want to vomit that he was flirting with the mayor's _wife_. Case and point – Mrs. Lockwood needed some vervain for people on the founder's council. Carol left shortly thereafter and Grace paid for her drink.

"Well I must be going, Damon."

"Not so fast. I said I'll drive you so let's go."

"It wasn't an alcoholic drink. I'll be fine." Grace answered. It was honest, she didn't drink and drive.

"When will you be coming into _my_ dreams, Sugar Plum Fairy?" Damon teased as his hungry eyes ran over the light purple ensemble of her costume.

"I know that you vamps like to play around in other people's dreams and that's why I found you snooping around in mine the first night I met you." She scoffed and Damon smirked at her.

"Couldn't resist. I didn't hear you complaining." It was true. That dream still haunted her - more like followed her everywhere. It made her shiver and get all hot and bothered.

"Alright I'm just gonna – " Grace started but she was hit with a vision.

_She weaved her way through the crowd looking for the one thing to satisfy her. It was ironic that her costume was so fitting for the demon she now was. The booming bass was even louder in her ears and so was the sound of blood pumping through the students' veins. She was hungry. So very hungry._

Grace jolted as her vision disappeared before her eyes. "You alright?" Damon asked her and Grace just nodded.

* * *

><p>"Elena! Where is Vicki?" Grace yelled over the blaring music.<p>

"I don't know! Stefan is looking for her!" She hollered back and both girls decided to split up. _If I was a vampire, where would I be?_ Grace mused to herself but this was no laughing matter. Another vision crept up on her and it was of two bodies heatedly kissing against the side of a yellow school bus. Grace bolted to the back door of the dance to see Jeremy push Vicki away from him.

"Vicki, what the hell?" Jeremy yelled.

"Jeremy!" Grace shouted and that caught Vicki's attention. Her lips were stained red a little, no doubt one of her fangs. "Vicki, no…please." She said quietly and Vicki made a move to lunge but quickly flashed away hearing Stefan burst through the door with Elena in tow.

"Where is she?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know she disappeared." Grace said worriedly while keeping her eyes on the lookout. Stefan quickly ushered the three teenagers back inside but Vicki tugged on Grace's hair, pulling her back to her. The vampire bit into her shoulder and Grace screamed out in pain. Grace gripped onto Vicki's hands that were holding onto her body and focused on doing what she had done to Damon when he tried to attack her. Vicki's skin started to sizzle and she growled, tossing Grace to floor and Stefan was able to stake her through the heart. Elena crouched over Grace to help her sit up while Stefan ushered a hysterical Jeremy back inside. Blood stained Grace's lilac costume and the pain in her shoulder was throbbing. Elena tore off a piece of her nurse's costume and pressed it to the wound. Grace was outside alone sitting next to Vicki's grey body when Damon came along.

"You should go. I got this." He said simply and that angered Grace.

"This is all your fault!" She yelled.

"You confuse me for someone with remorse. None of it matters to me. None of it." Damon growled.

"People die around you! How could it not matter? It matters and you know it!" Grace shouted and punched him hard. Damon's head jerked to the right but other than that her punch didn't affect him. He slowly turned back to her and eyed her bleeding shoulder. Grace made an effort to hit Damon again but he gripped her arm tightly. All of the sudden she didn't feel so high and mighty anymore – in fact she wanted to run and hide from him. Damon felt his vampiric features take over and he made no effort to hide them. Grace gasped seeing his eyes turn black and the veins spider underneath them. She didn't try to move partly because she was frozen in fear and that Damon's grip on her was so tight.

"Why didn't you tell me that you saw Vicki here?" He asked and Grace was taken aback by his question.

"I…I just thought that…" She trailed off.

"What? That I'd look at you differently? Like you were some kind of freak?" Damon growled and she didn't answer him. She instead stared into his dark eyes. "You were the one who said that the town would run after me with their pitchforks if they saw who I _really _was. Now you see the monster I am." He whispered menacingly. "Would you blame them, Grace?" He asked her seriously.

"Please let me go…" She whimpered pathetically and she saw Damon's eyes soften a little before she watched the black fade to the normal ice blue color they were. He unhanded her gently but she didn't move away from him.

"You need to leave." He glowered. "Your wounds are bleeding and you need to leave." He said slowly and Grace covered her shoulder before leaving.

* * *

><p>Grace snuck into her house and hid her bloody costume in the garbage. Thankfully her mother wasn't home so she was able to clean up her shoulder quickly. The bite hurt more than it looked. It was two neat puncture wounds that had stopped bleeding by the time she got home. Grace was finishing patching up her shoulder when she heard her mother come home. The teen quickly cleaned up everything and moved into her bedroom.<p>

"Hey honey! How was the party?" Her mom asked and went into the bathroom where Grace's costume was discarded.

"It was fun! All the kids were behaved." Grace said simply as she heard her mom shuffling around in the bathroom. The movement stopped and Grace saw her mom emerge with some bloody tissues.

"What happened, Grace? Are you hurt?" Her mom asked worriedly.

"No, I'm fine. I just…cut myself shaving." Grace lied.

"You're a terrible liar." Her mother said after a few beats of silence. Grace froze and her mother held up her bloodied costume. "What is this?" She asked.

"I…I" Grace stuttered.

"I know that there are vampires in this town. They've always been around." Her mother said and Grace was speechless. How did her mother know about vampires?

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Grace said innocently.

"How about we skip the part where I know nothing about vampires. Sheriff Forbes is doing an investigation to get rid of them and I am a part of it." She continued. "Did that monster hurt you?"

"No!" Grace lied. "I just got some blood on me. But mom, why didn't you tell me you knew?"

"Well…it's not exactly the easiest thing to say Grace. The reason why we left home was because the town was infected with those monsters." Her mother said heatedly and Grace felt a little hurt at her comment. Vampires were scary creatures but she would hardly call Stefan a monster, Damon maybe but not Stefan.

"I promise, mom. I'm fine." Grace said assumingly and her mother sighed with relief.

"I also know what Adam is." Her mother said and Grace raised her eye brows. "He is what will help this town rid itself of vampires. I knew that he was healing you the other day but that doesn't mean you're off the hook for it." She said sternly and went to walk out of the room but Grace stopped her.

"Mom?" She called and her mom turned around. "Can we please not keep secrets from each other? I love you but I don't want you to keep secrets from me, no matter how big. Please?" Grace pleaded and her mother nodded with a smile.

"I promise, sweetheart. Now get some sleep you've had a busy night." She bid her daughter goodnight but she closed the door to her room she knew that she had one big secret that she had to keep. Diana knew that in time she'd have to come clean.

_Insomnia ridden Grace tossed and turned in her bed, trying to slip into a restful sleep but it didn't seem like it was in the cards tonight. She was angry that her mother for keeping those kinds of secrets from her but she was a hypocrite herself. She didn't tell her mom about Adam, Stefan or Damon and she wouldn't because she promised them that she'd keep her mouth shut. It made Grace a little antsy that her mom was on the council for getting rid of vampires since she was already involved with them.

"_Grace…" His voice was muffled as his lips traced the curve of her neck. Grace shivered just hearing her velvety voice and feeling his hands caress down her body at a sensual pace. It was dark, she could tell that much from the dream and she was laying down on something soft, a bed perhaps? All she felt was his hands on her skin and his deep breathing. It was wonderful to have one of her senses cut off since she now her other senses were heightened. Her skin prickled at the slightest touch and her stomach jumped whenever he did something to really pleasure her. However Grace didn't know who this was. She couldn't see since it was so dark. She threaded her hands in his hair to feel that it was incredibly soft and luscious. Grace scratched the back of his neck and heard him whimper at her ministrations._

"_Adam?" Grace guessed and that earned her a little love bite on her collarbone, making her groan out._

"_Nope." The voice smirked and she already knew who it was._

"_Damon." She stated and she felt him laugh against her skin._

"_Ding, ding, ding." Damon said quietly and lifted his eyes to meet hers. Grace felt herself turning to mush once again when his lips went back to trail over her jaw line, making sure to switch from licks to bites._

"_Why are you here?" She found herself asking. Damon didn't answer her instead he moved his lips further down over her collarbone to the swell of her breasts and rubbed his nose over the top of one. Grace immediately forgot her question as she leaned her head back to the bed and moaned softly feeling his skin rub against hers._

"_I told you so." He whispered. "You never complain when I'm in your dreams._

A light scratching at her window startled Grace from her dream and she threw off the covers and crept over to the window. She looked out to find nothing until she saw a glimpse of blue eyes from the tree near her house. The shadow moved to stand right outside her window and Grace covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Damon smirked and waved at her before motioning to her to open the window. She huffed and jerked the window up as quietly as she could.

"What is that matter with you? I thought I told you to stay out of my head!" She whispered angrily.

"Aww come on its fun! Besides I just loved hearing you whisper my name in your sleep." He smirked and a deep blush rose to Grace's cheeks. "Can I come in?" He asked.

"No!" Grace hushed. "Look my mom knows about vampires and she's on the 'get the vampires out of Mystic Falls' bandwagon so I don't think it's smart for you to hang around me." She explained.

"I've handled mothers – _trust me_." Damon smirked and Grace rolled her eyes.

"Why does everything you say have a sexual innuendo to it?" She scoffed.

"I just meant that I don't think your mother would give me any trouble. You're the one with your mind in the gutter." He defended his claim. "Why didn't you tell me about your vision?" Damon asked again and Grace felt her body tense.

"Because sometimes my visions are wrong, Damon." She explained. "I didn't want to worry anybody." She said honestly.

"You could've gotten killed tonight." He said.

"…I know that." She said quietly. Tonight had been the second time that she was attacked by vampires and quite frankly she wasn't looking for a third. "But I'm fine. I'm not dead."

"Yet." Damon deadpanned and Grace rolled her eyes. "Seriously, I would tell someone next one instead of going off alone."

"Careful, Damon. Wouldn't wanna care about me too much." Grace laughed and Damon scowled at her joke.

"Now can I please come in?" He asked again.

"You really must have a death wish, don't you?" Grace asked seriously and Damon didn't move from his spot. "I swear to God, if you hurt my mother or anyone I know I will kill you myself." She hissed and Damon put his hands up in surrender.

"I won't. Deal?" He said and held his hand out to her but it was still outside the window since she hadn't invited him in.

"Deal." Grace said and she shook his hand. The both of them heard the turning of Grace's doorknob and like nothing Damon was out of sight. Grace still stayed at her window and looked out into the night but Damon was gone.

"Grace?" Her mother called and opened the door. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I just thought I heard something." The teen replied nonchalantly and pulled the window closed before turning in for the night. Grace sincerely hoped that inviting Damon in wasn't a decision that she would later regret.

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><p><strong>I had to add some Damon and Grace fluff in for you guys!<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. 162 Candles

**Trying to crank out this story for you guys!**

**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, messaged, alerted and favorited :) Thanks to Isabella95 for being my 20****th**** reviewer!**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p><strong>Grace's POV<strong>

The next day a group of us had to give a statement about Vicki's disappearance. Since Jeremy was compelled to think that Vicki left, the rest of the group was sure to keep the story straight. It was a very sad ordeal. Matt didn't deserve to lose his sister. I gave my statement and went to Elena's house with Bonnie. Poor Elena broke up with Stefan so naturally she was upset.

"Alright, get up Gilbert!" I hollered and threw the covers of Elena.

"No, no!" She whined but Bonnie helped me. All three girls sat on the bed as they tried to lift Elena's spirits.

"Look, you can stay here forever. It's a new day." I said as happily as she could but Elena wanted nothing to do with being happy. She just wanted to wallow.

"I know I've been MIA when you needed me the most so I suck." Bonnie said.

"You wanna make it up to me? Get my mind off of it." Elena said.

"Just remember that you asked for it." Bonnie said taking one of Elena's pillows and ripping it. Elena went to stop her and I even raised a confused eyebrow but Bonnie continued with her ministrations. She sat cross-legged on the bed with me and Elena before waving her hands in the air. Like magic, a feather lifted up in the air and moved with her hands. Bonnie then levitated more feathers around us. Elena and I were speechless but they couldn't help smiling. This was so magical, it had to be magic!

"It's true! I'm a witch!" Bonnie said with a huge smile on her face. So, Bonnie's a witch, the Salvatore brothers are vampires – this town was getting weirder and weirder. Naturally Elena and I had to keep the vampire secret from Bonnie and they also couldn't tell Bonnie's secret to anyone. Not to mention I had to keep Adam's secret from everyone.

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><p>I was back at my house, trying to take everything in when I got a call from an unknown number.<p>

"Hello?" I answered warily.

"_Hello, Grace." _I could practically hear Damon's smirk over the phone.

"How did you get my number?" I asked.

"_A magician never reveals his secrets."_ He said and I had to roll my eyes.

"Maybe you can answer this question, what do you want?"

"_Can't I just call you to listen to your voice?"_

"No fair, you can't answer a question with another question." I quipped and flopped down on my bed.

"_True, but I do love hearing your voice."_ Damon's voice was starting to make me shiver but I wouldn't let him know that. _"In all seriousness though, Caroline is throwing a party for Stefan's birthday tonight at the Grill and I would love it if you could come."_ He said and I had to laugh.

"How old is Stefan? At least one hundred?" I quipped and I heard Damon chuckle over the phone.

"_Older than that. So will I see you tonight?" _He said hopefully.

"Alright, I'll be there." I said while getting up and rifling through my closet to look for something to wear tonight.

"_Good and that invitation doesn't include a plus one."_ Damon said.

"I didn't say anything about Adam. You're the one who brought it up. You jealous, Damon?" I smirked and pulled out some cute tops before tossing some possibilities on my bed.

"_No way! You think I'm jealous of angel boy?"_ He quipped. _"He can't possibly satisfy you in the way that I could."_ He smirked.

"No need to over compensate, Damon." I sighed as if I wasn't interested in his ability to satisfy a woman.

"_Oh I don't need to compensate. Just ask Caroline."_

"What you did to Caroline was wrong so when will you just accept that?" I said with some annoyance.

"_She enjoyed it and I'm sure you would have too."_

"Really? And how are you so sure about that?" I inquired.

"_You love it when I come into your dreams and play around with you."_ He smirked and I felt myself smile too but with a different thought in mind.

"You're right, Damon." I breathed. "I _love_ it when you play with me." I said huskily. If wanted to play with him, then he'd better be ready to play with fire.

"_Mmm, that's more like it. So I know you're home. Are you alone?"_ He asked and I had to stifle a giggle.

"Yes." I whispered.

"_What are you wearing right now?" _I looked in the mirror to see myself in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt but he didn't know that.

"I'm wearing a hot pink bra and matching panties." I purred and I could hear Damon suck in a breath.

"_Well I'd love to see them in person."_ He smirked.

"Maybe if you play your cards right tonight, you might be able to." I smirked and bit my bottom lip. Since when did I turn into such a slut? Oh well, I figured I'd mess around with Damon's head a little bit.

"_I never would have pegged you for a tease, Grace."_ Damon tisked and the phone line suddenly went dead. I frowned and turned around to see Damon staring down at me.

"Holy shit!" I gasped and stepped back from him. "How did you get in here?" I asked.

"You invited me in." Damon said in a 'duh' tone.

"Oh, right." I rolled my eyes and turned back to my closet to pick out some outfit choices.

"You lied." He said in a sing song voice.

"So? You think I was really gonna have phone sex with you?" I said incredulously.

"Yes!" He said matter of factly.

"Keep it in your pants, Damon." I huffed and threw some more clothes on the bed. Damon sauntered over to my dresser drawers and started sifting through them.

"Ooh, so this is that hot pink bra that you were 'wearing'." Damon quipped, holding up my bra. I scowled and tried to take it from him but he held it out of reach. "Mind if I check to see if you're wearing the matching panties?" He waggled his eye brows at me.

"I'm not. They're in there." I said simply and he immediately turned back to the drawer to look for them. Seeing the opportune moment, I gripped my bra, threw it in the drawer and closed it on Damon's fingers but he pulled away quickly. Damn his vampire speed.

"Now, that wasn't very nice." He tisked.

"Well, don't go through my lingerie." I protested and I heard the front door unlock downstairs. My mom was home.

"Time to go." Damon said simply and I waved him off. Suddenly I felt his breath at my ear before he whispered, "You better wear those panties." And like that Damon was gone.

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><p>The Grill was packed wall to wall with people. I was having a drink with Elena when I saw her eyes lock on Stefan and some blonde girl.<p>

"Who's that?" I asked seeing Elena frown.

"Stefan's friend, Lexi." She replied.

"Oh, so that's 'towel girl'." I mused. Elena had told me about her encounter with Lexi earlier.

"She's a…" I trailed off and Elena nodded.

"A three hundred and fifty year old one." She answered and I just nodded. That's older than Damon and Stefan put together. The two of them sat at the bar when Lexi came over to order some drinks. She even ordered a shot of tequila for me and Elena. I like this girl.

"Thanks." Elena said. "I didn't know you guys could drink." She said and Lexi looked over to me.

"It's alright, she knows." Elena said and Lexi's demeanor relaxed and she smiled at me.

"Oh yeah it helps curb the cravings." The vampire replied and she and Elena were talking about being in love and Stefan and some other mushy gushy things that I really didn't wanna hear.

"You gonna finish that?" I asked, jerking my head to her shot and she handed it to me.

"You're friend is a monster." Lexi cheered and I laughed out loud.

"I'm a little monster. Always have, always will be." I smirked.

"Gaga reference, nice." She smiled.

"She's amazing." I gushed and Elena left us to chat with Stefan while Lexi and I continued taking shots when Damon decided to come over and join us. "Well I'm a dancer so I worship Lady Gaga." I said proudly. "I saw her when I lived in New York."

"You and I were probably at the same concert." Lexi said.

"Imagine that! I cannot wait till her new CD comes out." I giggled happily. I could tell the alcohol was getting to me but I didn't really care. I was really stressed out these past couple of weeks so I was entitled to a few drinks.

"Quite the drinker, aren't you Grace?" Damon quipped and I held up my index finger and my thumb close together to indicate an amount.

"I love this song!" I cheered and made my way to the dance floor. I was swaying when I felt someone place their hands on my waist. I looked over my shoulder to see that it was Damon. "I'm not wearing those underwear in case you were wondering." I smirked and turned in his grip to face him.

He pouted but it faded into his trademark smirk. "Guess I'll just have to keep buying you drinks so I can see what color panties you have on." I rolled my eyes.

"Can we talk about something other than my underwear?" I suggested as we kept dancing.

"Aww but then it's no fun." He pouted again. The two of us continued to dance when suddenly Sheriff Forbes stabbed Lexi with a syringe filled with vervain. Lexi grew weak and the deputies with Liz helped the carry the stunned vampire out of the Grill.

"What are you doing?" Damon hollered in complete surprise. The Sherriff thanked him for the vervain and left with Lexi. Elena pulled me to her side as her and Stefan tried to find a way out of the Grill. We finally got out the back way to see Damon stab Lexi with a stake. She crumpled to the floor, cold and dead. Stefan burned with anger while Elena and I tried to keep ourselves from screaming in horror. No doubt this was a plan of Damon's to get the council off their backs. Stefan left and Elena was driving me home since I was still a little drunk. I was getting my bag when suddenly a vision hit me. It was of Stefan staking Damon. My blood ran cold and I high tailed it to the Salvatore house. The door was unlocked so I just ran in.

"Damon?" I called frantically, hoping I wasn't too late. "Damon!" I yelled again and decided to check the upper level of the house. Checking all the rooms I came up empty until I heard groaning coming from a spot on the floor. I stepped cautiously to see Damon on the floor with a stake in his chest. "Oh my God! Damon!" I screamed. I crouched down to his level to see that he was deathly pale and still.

"Ow…" He groaned, trying to open his eyes so I smacked his cheeks.

"You're alive!" I hushed happily.

"Yeah…Stefan missed." Damon croaked and tried to pull the stake out but he cried out. "I can't get it out. Take it out." He rasped and my eyes were the size of dinner plates.

"What?" I asked.

"Take. It. Out." He breathed. I looked down at the bloodied wood protruding from his chest. In the movies it looked so fake but this was real. There was a freakin stake in his chest.

I closed my hands around the wood and pulled as hard as I could. Damon howled in pain and the stake came out in one clean swipe. I tossed the stake to the floor and exhaled as I watched the wound close up. I couldn't help but get a little queasy.

"Don't you dare hurl on me." Damon joked before hauling himself to his feet with my help. I walked him over to his bed. "Shit, that hurt."

"Do you need anything?" I asked.

"Go get me some blood from cooler downstairs." He said. Now that's something I never thought I'd hear. The cooler in the basement was filled with blood bags from hospitals. I came upstairs, blood bag in hand to see Damon shirtless and looking at the now nonexistent hole in his chest. All I could see at the moment was his back and it was pretty amazing. His shoulder blades flexed under his flawless skin and I could imagine scratching my nails down his back. He finally turned around and I nearly died. His abs rippled and his pecks flexed and I could feel my face heat up.

"It's rude to stare, Grace." He smirked and I tore my eyes away from his perfect body before tossing the blood bag to him.

"The hole is gone." I said.

"Well don't sound too disappointed about it." He shrugged and ripped the bag open with his teeth. He slurped away like a kid drinking a juice box. "So how did know I was here?" He asked and I tapped my fingers to my temple.

"I had a vision that Stefan stabbed you." I said simply.

"He was pissed about me killing Lexi and decided to put an end to me, except he missed." Damon said nonchalantly.

"It was to get the council off your back, right?" I asked and he just nodded. "I hate to break it to you Damon but all of this will catch up to you."

"Yeah but it's not now, unless you got a vision that says otherwise." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"No, I haven't gotten any about that." I said honestly.

"Besides, how do those little _things_ work?" He asked and I didn't want to tell him at first. Then again I knew his biggest secret.

"They just come to me. I know it sounds cliché but it's true. I have no control over them." I said sitting down next to him on the edge of his bed.

"That sucks." He deadpanned.

"Coming from a vampire." I joked. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

Damon shrugged and sipped some more blood. "My chest hurts." He whined.

"Don't whine. It's not attractive." I said and poked where the stake was once lodged in his chest.

"OW!" He roared.

"Sorry." I shrugged.

"What about that Adam kid? He knows about your visions?" Damon asked.

I nodded. "He gets them too." I said simply and I saw Damon rub his chest where I poked him. "Is there anything I can do to make it better?" I asked and Damon's eyes lit up. "That doesn't concern my underwear." I rephrased and Damon pouted.

"Gimme a lap dance?" He asked optimistically and I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on! I really thought you caved before. You sounded _so _sexy on the phone." He purred. "I practically had to take a cold shower."

"Imagine that, a teenage girl making a vampire all hot and bothered." I mused to myself and yawned. Man, I was exhausted. "Are you gonna be alright on your own? I'm gonna head home." I said.

"Yeah, I wanted a lap dance." He smirked and I made a move to poke his chest but he held his hands up in surrender. Maybe poking him was worse than that weird burning thing I did to him.

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><p><em>I was dreaming again, I knew that. There was a woman, she looked like Bonnie but it wasn't her. A burning church, an amber colored crystal and an old tomb. This didn't make sense. Is this a vision or some figment of my imagination?<em>

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><p><strong>This one was short and kinda crappy, I know but the next one should be really interesting!<strong>

**Please please please review!**


	8. History Repeating

**AN 1: I apologized for my late updates with this story!**

**AN 2: School is getting pretty hectic for me lately so I wanted to just let you all know that if my updates are more spaced apart, just bear with me. I don't intend on stopping ANY of my stories because I know how much you guys love them! I might be a on a little bit of a hiatus but I am in no way stopping my writing :) You all inspire me so much and I love you for it.**

**AN 3: Please review and make me smile since this story has the least number of reviews :(**

**I'll shut up now, on with the show! I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p>"Yeah…I know! I've been really busy lately so I'm sorry if I've been neglecting you." I apologized to Adam. I hadn't seen him in forever. Needless to say this town was insane. The Salvatore's are vampires, Bonnie is a witch and Adam's a Guardian. I was starting to feel a little left out. I wanted a part in all this supernatural mumbo jumbo.<p>

"_It's alright I understand. How've you been?"_ He asked and I picked my words carefully.

"Things have been interesting…" I said vaguely as I brushed my wet hair. I had just gotten out of the shower and I had a towel around me. I was invited over to Elena's tonight to do manicures and pedicures. Thank God, from being in pointe shoes for an ungodly amount of hours this week I was in desperate need for one. I was also in need of some girl time even though I knew Caroline would be there.

"_That's pretty vague."_ He mentioned.

"Well…my mom knows about vampires. I think she's been putting vervain in my drinks cause I wasn't susceptible to Damon's compulsion." I explained when I suddenly turned and nearly ran into Damon's chest. Speak of the devil. I gasped, trying my hardest not to scream and the bastard just smirked at me.

"_You okay?"_ Adam asked and I growled a little at Damon who was still smirking.

"Yeah…I'm fine I just…saw a spider!" I quickly rattled that excuse off at the top of my head. "Hold on, lemme _crush it_." I muttered in Damon's direction and he rolled his eyes.

"_Sure, I'll talk to you later."_ Adam said before I ended the call and turned to Damon, making sure to hold the towel tighter to my body.

"Comparing me to a spider? That's not very nice, Grace." Damon chided.

"Can't you like call me or text me before you come over?" I questioned.

"I could…but then I won't be able to take pleasure in seeing you all wet and fresh out of the shower." He smirked running his eyes down my wet body.

"Perv." I scowled. "Do you mind? I need to change." I stated and tapped my foot impatiently.

"No I'm fine. I've got the perfect view." Damon snickered.

"Are you always such an ass?" I asked seriously.

"Why are you so mean to me?" He pouted.

"Have you met you?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You sound like Lexi." He muttered.

"Is Stefan still pissed at you?" I mused as I moved around my room to find something to wear.

"Yeah but I said that I'd adopt 'the Stefan diet'." He answered and I wrinkled my nose. "Animals. Stefan feeds on only animals. You know like Bambi and Thumper?" He joked and I shivered in disgust.

"I guess it's better than him chomping on people." I said absentmindedly.

"I just won't feed on anything with feathers." Damon added.

"I think the animal blood diet might do you good."

"No way! Stefan is just so boring he is always forehead brooding." Damon whined.

"And _you _are sneaking into girl's bedrooms unannounced." I said back and he winked.

"Yes I am." He smirked. "By the way, I couldn't help but overhear you talking to angel boy that you were going to Elena's tonight." He mentioned.

"Yeah, what about it?" I inquired.

"Here's the thing. Bonnie has something of mine that belongs to me…" He started.

"Oh that necklace?" I finished for him and he nodded. "She told me that she got rid of it. It gave her bad vibes." I added and Damon growled.

"I need that necklace." He said seriously.

"Look, I'm sorry that she doesn't have it. Besides, what would you want with a necklace anyway?" I asked.

"It was something I had from way back when." He alluded.

"Oh…so it means something to you?" I prodded.

"Yes and I need it." He stressed.

"Okay fine, I'll see if I can get her to tell me where it is. Happy?"

"Overjoyed." He deadpanned and I turned around to rifle through my drawers. "What's that?" He asked.

"What's what?" I asked, not really paying attention.

"That scratch on your shoulder." Damon said simply and I moved to a mirror. I turned my back to see that Damon was right. It was a small red scratch just over my right shoulder blade. Honestly if Damon didn't bring it up to me I wouldn't have seen it. It didn't bother me at all which was even weirder.

"Huh, that's weird. I don't know where I got it." I mused as I ran my fingers over it. "Oh well."

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><p>"How about we have a séance?" Caroline suggested and Bonnie, Elena and I groaned internally.<p>

"I don't think that's such a good idea." I butt in.

"Oh come on! Let's summon some spirits! This Emily chick has some serious explaining to do." Caroline pleaded and we all kind of went with the flow. Bonnie's necklace had magically reappeared in her bag but I wasn't so sure that I wanted to take it back to Damon. I mean I could understand what Bonnie meant when she said the thing gave her bad vibes. I didn't wanna go near it. We sat in the dark, holding hands with candles all around us. The whole idea was freaking me out a little bit.

"Emily, I call on you. I know you have a message and I'm here to listen." Bonnie said and the room was silent until the candles in the middle of the circle got stronger before dimming down. We all gasped and dropped our hands.

"Holy shit!" I cursed.

"Did that really just…" Elena stammered.

"Yeah it did." Caroline answered nervously. "Ask her for another sign!" She prodded and Bonnie shook her head back and forth. I felt a cold chill run up my body before landing on the scratch that adorned my shoulder. It was as if someone was running their finger over it.

"No I don't wanna ask her anything." Bonnie protested.

"Fine! I'll ask her." I spoke up and had my eyes transfixed on the dancing flames from the candles. I turned my palms up and willed myself to speak even though I was scared as hell. "Emily, if you are with us. Show us another sign." I requested and the room still remained quiet and unchanged. "Please." I added and Elena stifled a little giggle. "What? I'm sure spirits would like it if people used more manners." I joked and we waited for Emily to speak to us once more. Suddenly the window burst open, scaring the four of us and I saw a silhouette of Emily. I had seen her in some of my dreams and she looked exactly the same. She was dressed in period clothes with a solemn look on her face. I screamed seeing her so close to me but to the rest of the room they thought I was just really creeped out.

"That's it! I'm done!" Bonnie yelled, standing up and ripping the necklace from around her neck. The wind from outside blew the candles out, leaving us in the dark room. "Get the lights! Someone get the lights!" She begged and Elena quickly flipped them on.

"Bonnie…the necklace is gone." I hushed seeing it missing from the spot on the floor where Bonnie threw it. We all looked around for it and that damn necklace was nowhere in sight. Bonnie was looking out in the hallway before walking into the bathroom. Elena, Caroline and I were scoping out the hallway also when the door shut, locking Bonnie in the bathroom. We banged on the door as we heard Bonnie screaming in horror. Elena moved to the adjoining door but that was locked also. We pulled on the doorknob but it was useless. The lights started flickering on and off as Bonnie's screams got louder. Suddenly the mood in the house changed when everything stopped. We were able to open the door to see Bonnie standing the middle of the bathroom with her hands over her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Elena asked and Bonnie lifted her head up. I couldn't help but feel that something was off about her.

"I'm fine." She said simply and even her voice sounded off. Caroline stormed off, thinking that Bonnie was faking the entire time and Elena followed her, leaving me alone with Bonnie.

"Bon, are you sure you're okay? You really scared us." I said seriously and looked her over.

"I'm fine, Guardian." She said and my eyes widened.

"What? What did you just call me?" I asked but she walked past me. Why would she call me 'Guardian'? I wasn't one. Did she find out about Adam's secret and was pissed that I didn't tell her?

"I must go." Bonnie said and made her way down the stairs.

"Wait! Bonnie, wait!" We all tried to stop her but she wasn't listening.

"Emily!" I called and Bonnie looked back at me.

"I won't let him have it. It must be destroyed." She said and left the house. Caroline left to go home clearly spooked and Elena dialed Stefan. She alerted him of what was going on with Bonnie. Emily had somehow possessed Bonnie's body.

_They were in the woods near Fell's Church. It was dark and Damon and Bonnie, whose body was still possessed by Emily, were in a heated argument._

"_I won't let you do it!" Bonnie said angrily._

"_We had a deal!"_

"_Things are different now. I need to protect my family."_

"_I protected your family. You owe me." Damon said darkly._

"_I know…I'm sorry." Bonnie deadpanned._

"_You're about to be a lot more than that." Damon growled before lunging at Bonnie but she used her witchy powers to hurl him into a tree. A branch stabbed through his back and out the other side. Damon groaned in pain as he was held to the tree, watching Bonnie prepare herself._

"Oh my God!" I hushed. "She's at Fell's Church! That's where Emily always took Bonnie in her dreams!"

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><p>Elena and I drove through the woods until coming to a point where we would have to walk through since the trees were getting closer together. I bolted out of the car and made a run for it while Elena tried to follow me as best as she could. Hearing the sound of voices reach my ears I listened close but still tried to keep myself hidden.<p>

"With one comes all." Bonnie said with fiery embers surrounding her.

"I don't care about that. I just want Katherine." Damon rasped, his body recovering from being impaled on a tree branch.

"This isn't about love, is it? It's about revenge!" Stefan growled. "Damon, you can't do this!"

"Why not? They killed 27 people and they called it a war battle. They deserve what they get!" Damon spat.

"27 vampires, Damon! They were vampires. You can't just bring them back." Stefan protested and I walked closer trying to hear better but a branch cracked under my foot. All three heads turned on a swivel to see me standing there.

"The Guardian returns." Bonnie noted.

"Why are you calling me that? I'm not a Guardian." I stated.

"But you will be." Bonnie smiled and I froze. How could that be? Adam told me that being a Guardian runs through generations. "Your family holds many secrets."

"You know _nothing_ about my family!" I yelled at her but all she did was stare at me solemnly. Her brown eyes were fixed on mine when suddenly a sharp pain hit my shoulder blade where the scratch was. My knees buckled and the two vampires in the clearing eyed me with wide eyes. I felt the skin split roughly as I clawed at my shoulder. "STOP! Make it stop, please!" I screamed feeling warm blood soak my shirt.

"They lied to you, Grace. All lies." Bonnie murmured, finally making the pain stop. She lifted her eyes back to Damon and gripped the necklace in her hands, ripping it from her neck.

"Don't do this!" Damon begged.

"I can't free them. I won't! Incendia!" Bonnie chanted as the flames grew higher and brighter. Elena ran into the clearing and kneeled down next to me, seeing that I was hurt.

"NO!" Damon roared as Bonnie through the necklace up in the air and it exploded, destroyed forever. The flames suddenly died down and the smell of burning ground filled the air. Damon growled low and lunged at Bonnie, biting her neck. The three of us ran to Bonnie even and Damon blurred out of the clearing. Stefan quickly fed Bonnie his blood, healing her neck. He offered his blood to me but I hesitated. Elena tore the back of my shirt to see how deep my wound was but she gasped seeing there was nothing there except for the light scratch that Damon had brought to my attention this morning. What the hell? Why were all of these things happening to me? Was Emily right about my family? So many questions swirled around in my head that I wanted to cry from the overwhelming feeling. I planned on doing some digging about my family…even though I desperately didn't wanna know what my mother has been hiding from me for all this time.

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><p><strong>Hmm, what will Grace find out that will be the turning point of this story? Review to find out!<strong>


	9. The Turning Point

**Bum Bum Bum! Here's another chapter. It's a little short but it's got some important info! So read up and please review :)**

**Thanks so much to everyone who did review, message, alert and favorite! Hugs and Kisses**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p>"5…6…5,6,7,8!" Miss Danielle counted and the girls followed her counts in perfect time except for one. "Grace! Keep in time!" Her teacher yelled and Grace pushed herself harder but couldn't seem to keep up. She'd felt completely drained for the past couple of days. She figured she was coming down with something but was too stubborn to go to the doctor.<p>

"What's up with you? You've been a fog all day." Taylor whispered quietly, hoping not to be caught talking during a routine. Grace opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it when Miss Danielle shut the music off.

"Ladies, come on!" She scolded the class and all of the girls looked at their feet. Miss Danielle sighed deeply, "Alright, class dismissed. I'll see you all next time." The entire class went shuffling for their bags and pulled their pointe shoes off their swollen and aching feet. Grace rolled her right shoulder, trying to get rid of the soreness that had been plaguing her.

"You alright, Grace?" Taylor asked her and Grace's face twisted in pain as she moved her shoulder the wrong way. The ballerina carefully shrugged off her little shawl that sat over her shoulders.

"Yeah, it just hurts." She rasped out and turned her back to face the mirror and gasped out when she saw the area was red and inflamed. It looked like a bad bruise but it was still frightening to look at. Checking the other side she saw that the damage on her left shoulder mirrored the right one.

"What the hell is that?" One of the girls hushed as Grace ran her fingers over the bulge. It throbbed painfully and Grace took in a sharp breath. "You should get that checked out. It doesn't look good." Another voice suggested.

"It's fine. No pain no game, right?" Grace chuckled but the pain in her shoulder said otherwise. This would happen periodically. After that night when Emily provoked the pain in her shoulder, Grace would sporadically get pains in both her shoulder blades only to have them heal up within a couple of days. It was a vicious circle and Grace didn't know how long she could take it. However today they looked worse than they ever had been. It worried her and she had decided not to say anything to anyone about it. What if Emily was right? What if Grace was really a Guardian?

Grace waited till all of her friends left the studio so she was left in peace. She put on some music and decided to practice some solos. Her pointe shoes scuffled against the floor as she moved gracefully. With all of this madness going on she needed to dance as an outlet or else she'd burst like a pressure cooker. She did every solo from the 'White Swan' to the 'Nutcracker Suite' till she was just about burned out. Her feet were throbbing and her legs were weak. Grace pulled off her pointe shoes and slung her bag over her shoulder but she checked her shoulder blades once again to see that they had healed up once again. She sighed deeply; her life was just too much of an emotional rollercoaster. Walking out of the dance studio, the dim street lights illuminated the dark sidewalk. She had stayed later than she wanted too but she had a free day tomorrow since she wasn't teaching any classes.

She heard whispers behind her and Grace turned over her shoulder to see that no one was with her. Grace clutched her keys tightly in her hand as she bustled her way down the street. At least if another vampire attacked her than she'd be able to jab it in the face with her keys. The wind picked up around her and Grace rounded the corner when she suddenly ran into someone. The force knocked her down to the ground and she was left to stare up at the unbelievable.

It was Logan Fell.

"Hello Grace." He smirked.

No. He was dead. Damon killed him.

Grace stumbled to her feet and ran in the other direction but Logan gripped her upper arm and slammed her against the wall, effectively knocking her unconscious. He picked up her body and dance bag, making sure not to leave any evidence around. The sweet smell of her blood entered his nostrils from the new gash on her forehead and his mouth watered from the anticipation of tasting her.

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><p>Damon was casually lounging around the boarding house, drink in hand when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Fishing it out, he smirked seeing the name on the caller ID.<p>

"Hello gorgeous." He purred over the speaker.

"_I figured you'd wanna save this kind of conversation for Grace."_ A snide male voice spoke and Damon wrinkled his nose. This wasn't Adam's voice.

"Logan." He growled.

"_That's right."_

"Where is Grace?" Damon asked heatedly.

"_Oh, Grace? She's right here."_ Logan said simply and Damon heard some white noise in the background so he figured he was holding the phone up to Grace. _"Here sweetie, say hello to Damon."_ The news reporter taunted and Damon could hear Grace whimper.

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><p>Logan crouched down to the Grace and yanked the gag from her mouth so he could torment Damon. He bound her wrists and ankles and open bite wounds covered her arms, shoulders and neck. Her blood was the sweetest he'd ever tasted. He ran his finger down her cheek and then tucked a blood crusted curl behind her ear. "Damon, please help me…" She sobbed.<p>

"Aww come on. We're having so much fun." Logan smirked.

"_Let her go, Logan." _Damon barked.

"No I don't think I will…" The news reporter trailed off and pulled the strap of her tank top down to reveal a piece of unharmed skin. "Ooh, I smell dinner." Logan's mouth watered as his fangs dropped down. "Tell you what, Damon. You and I have some unfinished business to attend to so how about we discuss this. Meet me at the old warehouse. Come alone, or else." He threatened.

"_You wouldn't kill her!"_ Damon gritted.

"No?" Logan smirked and ravenously bit into Grace's shoulder.

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><p>Grace's shrill scream pierced the air of the living room and Damon felt himself shiver from the sound. His heart couldn't help but lurch at the noise echoing over the phone. Her screams quieted to short gasps and whimpers before Damon heard Logan rip his fangs from her skin.<p>

"_I can do a lot more damage than that to your little friend."_ Logan growled and licked his lips, the girl's taste bursting on his tongue. _"She tastes good, Salvatore. Maybe if you behave, I'll let you have a taste."_ He taunted and hung up the phone.

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><p>Damon walked up the front steps to the warehouse and looked over his shoulder, making sure no one was in sight before pushing open the door. He walked a couple of steps when he heard a light shuffling. He looked behind some crates to see Grace struggling with her bounds. As he walked towards her, Grace tried to warn him of some kind of imminent danger but the cloth over her mouth muffled any kind of speech. Suddenly Logan came from behind the corner and shot Damon. The eldest Salvatore went down immediately feeling the familiar pain of wooden bullets brigade his body.<p>

"I've got tons of these wooden bullets so don't try anything funky." Logan threatened while walking around Damon to Grace. She shook her head and tried to crawl away from him but he gripped her by the throat. "And you," He placed the barrel of the gun under her chin. "I told you not to say one word. You did and now I have to punish you for it." He growled, letting his fangs lengthen and Grace was frozen with fear.

"You don't wanna do this." Damon rasped and that caught Logan's attention. "You said you wanted us to talk so here I am." He added and Logan smirked at Grace before unhanding her. Logan turned back to the vampire and shot him once more. Damon howled in pain before trying to extract the other bullets from his skin. "That's what you get."

"For what?" Damon asked incredulously.

"You made me like this." Logan accused.

"I killed you, but I didn't turn you." He said before ripping a bullet from his arm and Grace nearly wanted to hurl from the sound of it.

"See…I know what you and your brother are." Logan said as he admired a wooden bullet in his hands. I've been watching the two of you. I knew you'd show up here but in case you didn't I decided to use a little leverage." He smirked, jerking his head to the gagged and bound girl behind him. "Now that you're here, I've got some questions."

"Me first." Damon breathed. "Who turned you?"

"How should I know?" Logan hollered. "Last thing I remember is I'm about to shoot your little friend and then you grabbed me. That's it! Until I wake up in the ground behind a used car dealership on highway four. Someone buried me." He explained.

"It happens." Damon rasped and pulled another bullet from his thigh before tossing it on the ground.

"You bit me. It _had_ to be you." Logan pressed.

"You have to have vampire blood in your system when you die. I didn't do that. Some other vampire found you and gave you their blood." Damon said and leaned down against the cold concrete floor of the warehouse.

"Who?" Logan asked.

"That's what I wanna know!" Damon said exasperatedly as he leaned back up again.

"Look, it's not like that welcome wagon was waiting with a bunt cake and a handbook. It's been a learn as you go process. One minute I'm a small town, on the rise news guy and the next thing I know I can't get into my house because my foot won't go through the door."

"You have to be invited in."

"I know. I live alone." Logan growled.

"Oh that sucks." Damon chuckled lightly. Leave to him to find some kind of humor in all of this.

"All I can think about is blood and killing people. I can't stop killing people. I keep killing and I like it." Logan said with a maniacal laugh.

"Wait a minute… cops only found one body."

"I left one. I was tired." Logan shrugged. "But I've been hiding the rest of the bodies. They're right back there." He pointed his gun to a storage unit where the smell of decaying bodies wafted into the air and their mangled limbs were twisted and tangled over one another's. "And if you don't answer my questions, Grace will be joining them." He added and Damon looked to Grace before nodding his head. "How do you walk in the sun?" Logan asked and Damon didn't want to answer him.

"Who turned you?" Damon countered.

"How can you walk in the sun?" Logan asked urgently this time.

"Who turned you?" The vampire asked again.

"Ya know, I've been really nice so far but I will kill you." He threatened, aiming his gun at Damon again.

"Then you'll never know." Damon spat.

"Look I don't have time for this. I've got things to do, people to kill. Guess I'll be needing a head start." Logan smirked and shot another round of bullets into Damon before grabbing Grace and leaving with her.

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><p>Damon quickly dialed Stefan, after the fact that he took the bullets out of him, and alerted his brother that Logan was indeed a vampire and he had taken Grace. He then called the sheriff and Liz made a call to Grace's mother. Damon was finally able to track him down but Logan offered him a deal. He said that there was another way to open the tomb so Damon naturally took him up on that offer since he was hell bent on getting Katherine back. He let Logan escape and Liz and Grace's mother showed up to the scene. Damon picked her unconscious form out of the car and her mother whisked her away.<p>

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><p>"How is she doing?" Diana asked Adam as he healed her body.<p>

"Much better. She'll be a little weak now. I'm almost finished." Adam replied and he felt Grace stir under his hands. "Grace? Can you hear me?" He cooed and the girl's eyes snapped open.

"Mom, Adam? What happened?" She asked quickly and sat up but the pains in her shoulders had come back in full force.

"Easy does it." Adam said easing her down to the bed. "Logan Fell attacked you. He's a vampire but he's gone now." He explained and Grace nodded her head in understanding.

"I remember. Damon helped me." She murmured and Adam tensed. He told her to stay away from them but she must have not heeded his warning. "Where is he? Is he alright?" She asked worriedly since she remembered that Logan shot him.

"He's fine." Adam murmured and Grace could tell that he was angry with her.

"Oh honey I'm so glad you're alright." Grace's mother whispered and pulled her daughter in the hug. Her arms pressed against Grace's shoulder blades and she flinched visibly. Diana pulled back a worried look on her face. Adam quickly pulled her shirt aside to see her shoulder blades were red and inflamed and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Oh my God." Diana hushed seeing her daughters' condition.

"It's happening." Adam added.

"What's happening?" Grace asked.

"Grace…you're a Guardian." Adam explained and Grace's eyes widened. Emily was right.

"No…I can't be. How?" She asked.

"Your father was a Guardian." Her mother replied. Grace was even more shell shocked than before. Her father? Her father supposedly died of a heart attack.

"All this time…and you never told me?" Grace teared up. "What ever happened to not keeping secrets from each other?" She asked angrily and got up from the bed.

"I didn't think you were ready to know this." Diana defended.

"I can't believe you! You lied to me about dad and now you're lying about me!" Her daughter yelled.

"Grace, please calm down." Adam comforted.

"No, I won't!" She screamed. "You knew too, didn't you?" She jabbed a finger at him and Adam hung his head in shame. "I hate you!" Grace shoved him hard but winced at the pain in her shoulders.

"You have to take it easy! You can't aggravate it." Diana pleaded.

"Just get away from me!" Grace seethed. Adam moved to put his arm around her but she turned on him. "Don't touch me!" She shrieked.

"Sweetheart, please…" Diana trailed off.

"Was daddy killed because of what he was?" She asked and was greeted with silence. "Was he?" She pressed and Diana gravely nodded.

"That's why I wanted to keep this from you. Your father and I were Guardians but I decided to have that gift taken from me." Diana explained.

"I don't want to hear this anymore." Grace hushed as she bolted out of her room and down the stairs.

"Where are you going? Grace!" Her mother called and ran after her, Adam did the same. Just as he was about to grip her arm, Grace turned and a fire spread across the floor, separating Grace from her mother and Adam.

"Stay away from me." She growled, her face being lit by the flames and she tore open the front door and ran to her car. Just as the front door slammed shut the fire immediately extinguished itself and Diana and Adam followed Grace, however they were greeted with an empty driveway and the smell of burning rubber as Grace peeled away from the house.

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><p>All Grace could do was scream and cry as she sped down the dark, empty streets. How could they both lie to her like that - especially about something so personal? Her cell phone was ringing off the hook but she didn't answer. Right now she just needed some time alone, she was planning on coming home but not now. She kept driving until suddenly a dark figure appeared on the road out of nowhere and Grace swerved the car to get out of the way but she came into contact with the shadow. She screamed seeing that it was a person she had it. The force of the crash caused her Jeep to topple over and slide against the pavement. Grace took in the quiet when the car finally stopped and came to realize that she was completely upside down. The windows were smashed in and little cuts covered any piece of exposed skin. She looked out of the window to see about thirty feet down the road the person she had hit crumpled on the floor. Grace tried to situate herself to get out of the car when a sudden movement from the body caught her attention. Slowly but surely, the man was getting up, his limbs resetting back into place. She hit a vampire. Shit! Now she was really in trouble. The man stood tall and turned his shadowed face towards the totaled car. Grace whimpered and her breathing rate increased dramatically as the man made his way over to her. She screamed and struggled but her seat belt was still strapped in and it held her there.<p>

"No…no!" She whispered and struggled harder but it was no use. She saw the man's feet at the window and he crouched down, his face still shrouded in darkness. Grace gave one last scream as she stared death straight in the face.

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><p><strong>Hope you guys enjoyed :) Please review!<strong>


	10. Bloodlines

**Woo Hoo, another chapter! Hope ya'll enjoy this one.**

**Thanks for all of the reviews, messages, alerts and favorites :)**

**Annnddd thank you to HarleyQuinn88 for beta-ing**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p>Grace tried with all her might to get out of the car but the blood was rushing to her head, and it didn't help that her voice was hoarse from screaming. The man that was crouched down before her hissed and snarled wildly. If she didn't think he was a vampire she was sure as hell now. She screamed one last time but the man's head suddenly turned to the right. He zoomed off and Grace was just as confused as ever. She looked around her, trying to see where the man went when suddenly someone crouched down in front of the window. Grace screamed again and turned her head to the side, not wanting to see her attacker.<p>

"How are you doing in there?" Damon's voice reached her ears and she turned slowly.

"Damon?" Grace stammered, tears stinging her eyes due to the fear of possibly being eaten and/or killed.

"You look stuck." He said while observing her current state of distress.

"It's my seat belt." She blubbered as she struggled even more.

"Let me get you out of there." He started. "Okay, I want you to put your hands on the roof." He instructed and Grace did as she was told. "Just like that." He praised and Grace watched him concentrate on what was holding her upside down. "You ready?" Grace nodded, closing her eyes in an effort to make her world stop spinning. "1…2…3." He counted and snapped the seat belt in one fell swoop. Grace tumbled to the roof of the car and Damon carried her out. "Are you okay?" Damon asked. "Can you stand? Anything broken?" His words were all mush in Grace's mind; to her his speech was completely incoherent. He tried to set her on her feet but she was much too weak. She audibly groaned feeling that her legs were numb.

"Mm….it hurts…" She mumbled and her knees collapsed underneath her, but Damon held her tightly in his arms.

"Whoa! You're fading fast, Grace." He said. "Grace, look at me. Focus." He snapped his fingers in front of her face as her eyes fluttered closed but the motion caused her lids to open up a little. "Look at me." Damon's hand held her face and his thumb brushed over her bottom lip before landing on her chin. Grace's eyes opened up and she looked back at him. Damon breathed a sigh of relief, "Okay." A little smile crossed his lips that she was responding to him.

"I'm one of them." Grace whimpered, her eyes wet with tears.

"What?" Damon asked, not sure of what she meant and Grace's eyes rolled into the back of her head before she abruptly collapsed. He dropped with her as he shifted her limp body in his arms. Damon's eyes ran over her body, viewing some of the open cuts on her skin. His hand gently pushed some of her curls off of her face as his fingers trailed over her cheek. Damon looked around before picking up Grace in his arms once again, "Upsy-daisy." He muttered into the wind as he carried Grace away from her wrecked car.

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><p>"Grace, it's me. Please call me back. I need to explain all of this to you and you kinda took off." Adam spoke quickly into the phone. He'd been trying to reach Grace since last night but she didn't pick up her phone. It was now the early morning and they still had no luck. With her mother's pleading, Adam tried to use his powers to locate her but she had somehow managed to block him. She wasn't even a full Guardian yet and she was already using her powers. "Look, I'm sorry. I know that I lied to you, but if you'll just let me explain…" He trailed off. "Please, Grace. I need to talk to you." He added finally and hung up the phone for what must have been the millionth time. Diana was sitting on the couch across from him, nursing a cup of coffee; she'd been absolutely worried sick about her daughter. Since she had given up her powers, she was not able to track Grace like Adam could. She knew her daughter was gaining her powers quickly and it wouldn't be long until she'd be a fully fledged Guardian.<p>

"Any luck?" She asked.

"No…she's angry. She's been blocking me from trying to get to her." Adam replied as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"Dammit!" Diana snapped. "How can she access her powers if she hasn't transformed yet?"

"I don't know. She could be doing it without even knowing that she's trying to. Lemme try again." He said and picked up one of Grace's items. He'd been using them to make it easier to track. Adam gripped the necklace tightly and closed his eyes. The necklace suddenly heated up in his hand and bits and pieces of visions crossed his subconscious.

_A car crash._

_Grace's car completely flipped over while she struggled inside._

_Her screams echoed throughout the night but no one was around for miles to hear her._

_A man…no,__a vampire helping Grace from the wreckage._

_"I'm one of them." Grace spoke to the monster that was currently holding her up._

_Grace fainted and the man caught her in his arms._

"I see her." Adam said suddenly with his eyes still closed. Diana nearly leapt off the couch, relieved that he had found her daughter.

"Where is she? Is she alright?" She asked quickly.

"She's…" Adam focused harder. Who was that man?

_His hand skimmed over her face and his blue eyes looked on with a sort of longing. He was undoubtedly a vampire judging by the way his expression seemed so calm about the whole ordeal. The vampire looked around him before picking Grace up in his arms and moving quickly through the night._

_Damon Salvatore._

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><p>It was the soft music playing from a radio that stirred Grace from her sleep. Slowly but surely, her memories of last night came back to her. She felt movement beneath her and her eyes fluttered to see trees moving past her at a quick pace. A car, she was in a car. But how…? She turned around to see Damon with his hands on the wheel.<p>

"Morning." He smirked. Grace let out the slightest breath of relief.

"Where are we?" She croaked as she looked out the window to see that yes indeed they were driving through a wooded area that she didn't recognize.

"Georgia." Damon said it with a little Southern drawl.

"Georgia?" Grace repeated. "No, no we're not. Seriously, Damon. Where are we?" She asked.

"Seriously, we're in Georgia." He replied. "How ya feeling?" He asked.

"I – I think…" Grace started as she held her head.

"There are no broken bones. I checked." He smirked and Grace glared back at him.

"I'm sure you enjoyed that, didn't you?" She sneered.

"Oh come on. Is that anyway to thank me?" He raised a challenging eyebrow and Grace couldn't argue with him. He did save her life.

"Thanks." She said quietly as she pulled down the sun visor in his car and flipped open the mirror. To her surprise, there was no cut on her head. She distinctly remembered the stinging feeling and blood running into her hair while she was suspended in the car. "My car…there was a man. I hit a man." She mumbled. "But then he got up and…who was that?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Damon shrugged as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Where is my phone?" Grace asked aloud as she rifled through her purse. "Okay look, we really need to go back. No one knows where I am." She said frantically as she continued to look for her phone. "Pull over! I mean it, Damon pull over!" She snapped angrily. Her phone was missing; she guessed that she lost it in the wreckage last night.

Damon groaned at her incessant whining, "You were so much more fun when you were asleep." He pulled the car over on the side of the road and Grace opened up the door. She had to brace herself on the door frame and the side of car since her body was sore. She felt the sudden pain in her shoulders again and she doubled over. Damon blurred over to her and placed his hand on her lower back.

Grace flinched at his display of tenderness and she straightened herself, "I'm fine." She assured him before standing on her own. "We have to go back."

"Oh come on we've already come this far."

"Why are you doing this? I can't be in Georgia. I wrecked my car. I have to go home! This is kidnapping!" She protested as she jabbed an accusing finger at him.

"That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?" Damon quipped as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You're not funny." She bit. "You can't do this! I'm not going to Georgia!"

"You're in Georgia." Damon said as he leaned against the side of his car. "Without any vervain on you, I might add."

"How do you know I'm not chockfull of the stuff?" Grace asked as she crossed her arms across her chest. "My mom knows about vampires so I can imagine that she's put it in everything." She added when suddenly a ringing noise interrupted her speech. Grace recognized the ring tone as hers, "That's my phone." She stated and Damon fished it from his pocket.

He eyed the caller ID and a smirk crossed his face. "Ooh, its angel boy." He held out the phone to her and she shied away from answering it. "No?" Damon asked before answering the call. "Grace's phone."

_"Where is she? I know she's with you!"_Adam growled.

"Grace, yeah she's right here. She's fine." Damon said while eyeing Grace who was holding her shoulder.

_"Let me talk to her."_

Damon took the phone away from his ear and held it out to her. "He wants to talk to you." Grace's eyes flicked between her blackberry and Damon before shaking her head. Damon put the phone back to his ear, "Yeah, I don't think she really wants to talk to you right now. I mean granted you're probably the reason why she's in this mess."

_"Damon, I swear to God if you touch her I will–"_

"You have a good day. Mmhmm, bye now." Damon taunted before hanging up the phone.

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><p>"They're in Georgia." Adam concluded as he tossed his phone on the couch. That was another perk of being a Guardian. Even though Damon didn't tell him their location, he was able to keep him on the phone long enough to get a sense of where they were.<p>

"What? Why?" Diana asked.

"I don't know, but she's safe for now. Right now she wants nothing to do with us." He said.

"She can't be alone right now. The pain in her back will continue to get worse until her transformation decides to take place."

"I know that. Even if I was to go there I can guarantee that Grace would try to block me from finding her again now that she's conscious." He explained.

"So this is a waiting game then?" Diana groped.

"I guess so. I'll see if I can keep calling her. I'll try her later."

* * *

><p>"Look, no one knows where I am. Can we please just go back?" Grace pleaded.<p>

"We're almost there." Damon said simply.

"Where is there?" She asked.

"It's a little place outside of Atlanta. Oh come on, Grace. You don't wanna go back right now, do you? What's the rush? Time-out. Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there when you get home. Look, just step away from your life for five minutes." He explained and Grace wanted to go home but she knew that she could face her problems when she got home. Besides, she didn't really want to face her mother and Adam right now.

"Am I going to be safe with you?" She asked him seriously.

"Yes."

"You promise not to do that mind control thing with me?" She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Yes." Damon said and right now he was two for two.

"Can I trust you?" She asked finally.

"Get in the car." Damon jerked his head to side and walked back to the driver side door.

* * *

><p>"So, where is my car?" Grace asked as she propped her elbow up on the side of her door and rested her head in her hand.<p>

"I pulled it off to the side of the road. I don't think anyone will bother it." Damon replied while keeping his eyes on the road.

"My poor baby." She pouted. Grace loved her Jeep. "That man in the road, he was a vampire, right?"

"From what I could tell."

"You don't know him?" She asked.

"If I've never met him, I wouldn't know him. I mean, it's not like we all hang out at the vamp bar and grill." Damon joked and pulled his car across the street from a building. The awning read Bree's Bar.

"You took me to a bar?" Grace raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yep, c'mon." He said and opened the car door for her and helped her out. Damon led her in the bar when a tall African-American woman jumped over the bar to meet him.

"No. No, it can't be. Damon! My honey pie." The woman suddenly took Damon's face in her hands and kissed him fiercely. Grace's eyes widened as she saw Damon deepen this kiss. The young girl felt uncomfortable as she tucked a curl behind her ear. Damon broke the kiss and the three of them went back to the bar. Grace perched herself on a stool and Damon sat next to her while Bree busied herself with filling shot glasses. "Listen up everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness. Drink up!" She passed a shot glass to Damon and Grace, and held one for herself. Bree drank the shot back and so did Damon. He reached for Grace's shot but she swatted his hand away. She shook her head disapprovingly at him and downed her shot with a cheeky smile.

Bree watched the interaction between the two of them and smirked. "So how'd he rope you in?" She asked Grace while refilling her shot glass.

"Oh, I'm not roped in." Grace replied.

"Honey, if you're not roped, you're whipped. Either way, just enjoy the ride." Bree smirked.

"Okay, so how did you two meet?" The girl asked.

"College." Bree answered simply.

"You went to college?" Grace laughed and playfully elbowed Damon.

"I've been on a college campus, yes." The vampire wiggled his eyebrows and downed his shot once more.

"About 20 years ago when I was just a sweet, young freshman, I met this beautiful man and I fell in love. And then he told me his little secret, it made me love him even more. Because, you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody."

Damon put his hand next to his mouth, like he was telling Grace a secret, "She's a witch." He whispered and Grace's eyes widened.

"You changed my world." Bree smiled.

"I rocked your world." Damon smirked.

"He is good in the sack, isn't he?" Bree said and Grace nearly choked on her shot. "But mostly he's a walk-away-Joe." The witch added and Grace smirked back at Damon. "So, what is it that you want?" She asked and Grace's cell phone rang again. Damon rolled his eyes and fished the phone from his pocket.

"Man, this guy doesn't know how to quit." He smirked.

"Can I take this?" Grace asked as she eyed her phone. "I'm not running away. I just wanna hear what other lies he has to tell me." Damon wrinkled his nose but she didn't explain as he handed her the phone. Grace hopped off her stool and made her way to the outside of the bar. She picked up the call but didn't say anything.

_"Grace, is this you?"_

"I'm here." She answered simply.

_"Are you alright? I saw you were in a crash."_ Adam asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, but that's not the problem at hand. You lied."

_"Not until I explain, please."_

"So you didn't lie? Is there anything else you'd like to tell me before I hang up on you?" Grace placed a hand on her hip and shifted her stance.

_"You can't be alone right now, Grace."_ Adam pleaded. _"Your transformation can happen at any time and you need to be home."_

"I'm not alone. Damon is with me." She protested.

_"Have you ever seen an actual transition?"_ He asked her seriously.

"No, but I would have if you and my mother hadn't lied to me about this whole thing!" She replied snidely.

_"It's extremely painful and very bloody. I don't think your friend, who is a vampire, would be able to take care of you very well."_ Adam said.

"He's doing a better job at being a friend than you are."

_"This is ridiculous. I know you're in Georgia and I'm coming to get you."_ He said definitely.

"Don't bother! Stay in Mystic Falls and do nothing like my mother!" She bit angrily and hung up the phone on him. Grace turned around and bumped in Damon's chest. "I'm sorry..." She mumbled.

"No need. Just wanted to check on you." He said simply.

"I'm fine." She replied when she heard her stomach rumble. She guessed Damon heard it as well since he chuckled lightly. "I'm a little hungry actually."

"Come on. Let's get you something to eat." He said and ushered her back into the bar.

* * *

><p>Grace was more than happy to be eating a hamburger with French fries and her stomach agreed with her. She was nearly choking down her food when Damon's voice broke her from her thoughts.<p>

"Can I ask you something?" He asked and Grace's nodded before popping another French fry in her mouth. "Last night before you fainted, you said that you were 'one of them'. What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, well you know how Adam is a Guardian?" Damon nodded. "Well you're looking at a prospective one." She shrugged.

"Wait, so you'll be a Guardian? When?"

"I don't know. Apparently my transformation has already started. The pain in my shoulder is the first part. Adam told me that it's sudden and it could happen at any time."

"Whoa...so is that the reason you ran away?"

"Well I didn't exactly run away. I was planning on coming back. My mom was a Guardian and she lied to me. So did Adam. And my mom said that my father was one as well, and he was killed for being one. I just don't understand it, my mom was a Guardian but she said she chose to have her abilities taken away." Grace explained as she twirled her fry around in the ketchup.

"That's interesting. How can you have your abilities taken away?"

"That's what I'd like to know. And did she have any kind of plan to take mine away?" The girl mused.

"Would you?" He asked and she turned her attention away from her food.

"I don't know." She mumbled as she picked her pickles off her burger.

"What? You don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?" Damon smirked and took the pickles off her plate.

"So like, how can you even eat? Technically you're supposed to be…" Grace trailed off.

Damon leaned closer to her and whispered, "Dead." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "It's not such a bad word. As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, our bodies function pretty normally. Except that we can't procreate, but we love to try." He smirked and Grace rolled her eyes.

Bree set a beer down on the bar in front of Damon. "I'll have a martini. Extra dirty." Grace said and Bree smiled before turning back to the bar. Damon raised an eyebrow at her, "What? Time-out, remember? For five minutes? Well that five minutes is gonna need a drink." She said simply and Bree set the drink down in front of her. Grace moved to take a sip but held her glass out to clink against Damon's and he winked playfully at her.

* * *

><p>"Ready…GO!" Bree counted off and the group at the bar downed their shots. Grace slammed her glass down on the bar and did a little victory dance, clearly happy that she beat the entire group.<p>

"That's three!" She exclaimed and stole a glance at Damon who was coughing a little. "Do you need a bib?" She pouted playfully at him.

"Sorry I can't unhinge my jaw like a snake to consume alcohol." He smirked at her and she just laughed it off.

"Oh, whatever. Alright, who's next? Another round, Bree?"

"Honey, you should be on the floor!" A drunken girl next to her slurred.

"I am not even drunk! My tolerance is like wayyy up here!" Grace jumped up high. She was a little drunk but she knew how to hide it well. With all of the stress back home she needed to have some fun. They all continued to drink for a while when Damon was chatting it up with some petite blonde. Grace felt a little jealous but she shook it off. That must have been the alcohol talking. Her phone ringing jarred her from her thoughts and she took the call.

"Hello?"

_"Grace! My god,__where the hell are you?"_

"Hey Lena!" Grace slurred. "What's up girl?"

_"Are you drunk?"_ She asked.

"No…maybe…a little bit…." Grace giggled.

_"Look, I need to talk to you. I look like her!"_ Elena blared over the phone but Grace couldn't hear her.

"I can't hear you! Wait, hold on." The girl took her phone and stumbled out the back door of the bar.

_"Are you in a bar? What the hell are you doing?"_

"I'm on a time-out." Grace said as she closed the door behind her.

_"I look like Katherine! Ya know,__Stefan's ex-girlfriend."_ Elena said.

"What? What do you mean you look like her?" She asked while trying to keep her drunken thoughts together.

_"I found a picture in Stefan's room and–"_

Suddenly Grace found herself being pulled back into someone's chest with a hand over her mouth. Her phone dropped to floor and as her captor dragged her away.

* * *

><p>Damon returned to the bar to see that Grace wasn't there. He figured she was drinking it up with some guy. He looked over his shoulder and scanned the bar but she was nowhere to be found. His ears picked up the sound of muffled screaming and he zoned in on the sound. It was coming from the back of the bar and he abruptly stood up, making his way outside. He heard Elena's voice coming through the speaker of Grace's blackberry which was currently left abandoned on the floor. He picked up the phone and walked through the back alley to see Grace standing alone. He moved closer to her but she yelled for him to stop.<p>

"Damon, no!" She screamed when suddenly the man that took Grace attacked Damon. The man hit Damon repeatedly with a bat until the elder Salvatore was on the floor, groaning in pain. He then poured lighter fluid on him and Grace froze with fear. Fire would kill Damon. Grace propelled herself to run forward to try and stop the man but he turned on the girl and hissed at her. She shrunk back slightly but didn't move away from the two vampires.

"Who are you?" Damon croaked from his spot on the floor.

"That's perfect. You have no idea." The man hissed.

"What are you talking about? What did he do?" Grace asked.

"He killed my girlfriend. What did she do to you, huh?" He spat at Damon. "What did she do to you? Nothing!"

"I don't understand." Grace said.

"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan and Damon killed her. Got it?" The man growled and Grace's eyes widened.

"Lexi? Lexi was your girlfriend? She told me about you. She said you were human. Lexi turned you?" She asked.

"If you wanna be with someone forever, you have to live forever." The man said with some ounce of sadness that his girlfriend was dead. He then looked back at Damon and took out a book of matches. Grace's breath caught in her throat. He kicked Damon hard in the ribs and the vampire groaned.

"Please, please don't hurt him." Grace pleaded as she saw him strike a match on the edge of the book.

"I'm doing you a favor." He hissed.

"Lexi loved you. And she was good. That means you're good too. Be better than him. Don't do this. I'm begging you, please!" The girl begged and the man looked at Damon one last time before picking him up by his short collar and tossing him into a brick wall. "Thank you." She breathed.

"It wasn't for you." The man said before stalking off into the night.

Grace ran for Damon as she heard him grumble in pain. "Damon! Damon!" She called to him and smacked his cheeks.

"Ow, shit!" He groaned as Grace tried to sit him up. Suddenly, someone pulled Grace back from the vampire and she whipped around to see Adam standing there.

"Let's go. We're going home." He growled and gripped her forearm.

"No! I'm not leaving him!" She hissed and yanked her arm free. Grace moved to walk back to Damon but Adam advanced on her again. Damon gripped Adam by his collar and shoved him, much like Lexi's boyfriend had done to him. He hissed at the Guardian, fangs bared. Adam's wings unwrapped from his back and he crouched, ready to counter the vampires attack.

"Stop it!" Grace called but the two men held their ground. The girl concentrated on her anger towards Adam and her protectiveness over Damon. She remembered the fire she caused in her own house just nights ago. Her emotions coursed through her veins until finally a ring of fire curled itself around Adam. The Guardian stepped back, shielding his eyes from the intense heat from the flames. Damon looked on in awe as Grace's hands remained raised, keeping the flames in check. Adam raised his own hands in an effort to calm the fire but they wavered only to grow stronger again. Thinking quickly, the vampire gripped Grace around her waist and blurred them away from the scene and into Bree's bar. He set the girl down only to see that her eyes were transfixed on nothing in particular.

"Grace! Grace!" He shook her gently and she blinked a couple of times. She looked at her surroundings and it seemed foreign to her.

"What...what happened?" She asked in a daze.

"Adam was here. Do you remember that?" He asked her.

"No, I...I don't." Grace mumbled as she rubbed her temples.

"Okay, I'm gonna take you home. Just wait in the car." Damon said and the girl nodded.

* * *

><p>Damon was tossing around what Bree said to him back in the bar as he drove home. So the tomb that held Katherine could be opened, all he needed was Emily's grimoire. That seemed simple enough however he had no idea where the book could be, Bree didn't even know. He killed her quickly while Grace was waiting for him. As he headed back to the car he saw that Grace was fast asleep against the window. This entire ordeal had been rigorous for her and no doubt she couldn't wait to get home and snuggle in her own bed. She stirred slightly against the window, shifting her position in an effort to get more comfortable. This poor girl had a lot on her plate. She would be a Guardian soon and since her mother lied to her, she'd have no idea of the problems she would face with becoming a member of that new race. She moaned in her sleep and Damon chuckled lightly to himself.<p>

The sun was just rising when Grace woke up. She rubbed her eyes which were still heavy with sleep and yawned quite loudly. Her memories of the ring of fire came back to her and she let out a sigh. That must have been her new powers forming.

"You shoulda seen the look on that kid's face." Damon smirked, seeing she was now awake. Grace laughed and ran her fingers through her curls in an effort to smooth her bed hair down.

"Not gonna lie, I felt pretty badass." She smirked. "Maybe I could get used to this whole Guardian thing."

"Just as long as you don't breathe fire in my direction." Damon chuckled.

"Well don't give me any reasons to." Grace smiled. "So, why did you bring me with you?" She asked, feeling a change of pace in the conversation.

"You're not the worst company in the world, Grace. You could give yourself some more credit."

"Seriously?" She deadpanned.

"You were in the road, all damsel-in-distress like. Plus I knew it would piss off angel boy and…you're not the worst company in the world, Grace." He smirked at her and she smiled. Perhaps the two of them could be good friends. "How bad is it gonna be when you get home?" He asked her and Grace sighed.

"Pretty bad." She replied simply. "I'm not looking forward to it but I can either run from this or learn from it. I'm choosing to learn."

"Listen to you, all smart and sophisticated."

"Well I did go to college and not just visit like you." She giggled and Damon pouted.

"Ouch, that hurt angel girl." He smirked.

"What's with the nickname? I'm not one yet." She raised her eyebrow.

"Just trying it out." Damon said simply.

* * *

><p>The vampire dropped her off a little down the block from her house so neither Adam nor her mother would see Damon. She walked up the walkway to her house and cautiously pushed open the door. Making her way through her house, she saw her mother and Adam sitting at the dining room table. Neither of them looked too pleased.<p>

"Look, you guys lied to me so you can't judge my actions." Grace started and they both looked to her to continue. "I was angry and I'm sorry for running off but if you just told me then I think that this whole thing would have worked out better than it did."

"Grace, you're lucky I'm no longer a Guardian because so help me I would have gone to Georgia and dragged you back here by your hair." Her mother sneered.

"I know that, but would that have solved anything?" The girl asked and the table was silent. "I asked you not to lie to me, but you did. I would have rather you lied to me about vampires than what I am."

Diana got up from her chair and made her way over to her daughter, "I don't want to lie to you anymore, Grace. I promise that I will share with you whatever information I can about all of this." She said honestly and Grace nodded before turning to go to her room. She was just about running on empty and ready to snuggle into her bed when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." She called over her shoulder but when she turned around, it was Adam. "I'm tired, Adam. I don't really wanna talk."

"Then please listen to me." He requested and she nodded. "Grace, I'm really sorry but it just wasn't my place to tell you this."

"I understand. I just wish I was told this sooner. I have no idea what this kind of life entails for me." She said.

"I'll help you. Anything I can do to help, I'll be there." Adam spoke softly, taking his hands in hers. "I don't want you to do this on your own. I had to and I wish everyday that someone was there to help me."

Grace smiled, happy that Adam wasn't too angry with her. "And I'm sorry for almost toasting you last night."

"It's alright. You couldn't control it. That was just your emotions firing away." He explained.

"Thanks for this little chat but I think I'm gonna pass out if I don't get some sleep." She chuckled.

"Goodnight, Grace." He smiled and kissed her cheek before leaving her alone.

_A journal. That's what he was looking for. Some old book. He was told it could open the tomb that he wanted to open. She was there. She'd been there for a long time and he would be the one to free her after all these years. The answers were in the journal._

_Grace was dreaming again – she must have been. A rainbow of colors flashed before her eyes and then it faded to black. It was so dark. She was running through a dark hallway. It twisted and turned into more hallways. It was a never-ending vicious cycle. She was running out of breath as she pushed herself to run faster. Looking over her shoulder she saw the man in the hood that she hit a couple of nights ago. He was hot on her heels and laughing manically. Who was she kidding? He was a vampire,__there was no way she could__outrun__him! Grace turned the corner and slammed against the double doors but they didn't budge. Her eyes darted in every direction, trying to look for a way out but there was none. She was trapped. The vampire rounded the corner and Grace shrunk into the corner of the hallway. He looked just as terrifying as the night she hit him with her car. He walked closer to her, his hood hiding his face which made him all the more terrifying._

_"No…please don't." Grace pleaded. He suddenly blurred right in front of her and she jumped out of her skin. He ran his fingers over her neck, tracing over her pulse point and then her collarbone._

_"Your little friend's not here to save you now." He growled and the hand that was tickling her skin,__tunneled in her hair and yanked her head to the side. "I wonder if you taste as delicious as you smell." He whispered into her neck and plunged his fangs through her soft skin._

* * *

><p>Grace screamed and jolted in her bed. Her hands covered her neck, trying to feel the puncture wounds but she let out a shaky breath to see that there were none. She was sweating and shaking from head to toe as she tried to calm her breathing. This was a vision. She knew it. The man in the middle of the road was coming after her and she wasn't sure if she would be able to stop it.<p>

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	11. Unpleasantville

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews and I hope you all have a great New Years Eve! Make sure to drop a review**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88 (check out her story! its amazing!)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

* * *

><p>"So lemme get this straight, you're adopted?" Grace asked as she flopped down on Elena's couch.<p>

"Yep. Jenna told me." Elena replied. "There was a girl who came to see my dad. She was sixteen and was about to give birth. She had the baby and my dad gave her a place to stay but a couple of days later she disappeared and left me."

"Oh Elena, I'm so sorry." Her friend consoled her.

"Thanks. I just wish that they didn't keep it a secret from me for so long." Elena said.

"Trust me. I know a thing or two about secrets." Grace said. Sure, things were better between herself, her mother and Adam but it would take a little while for her to fully forgive them.

"Yeah, what is this Guardi–"

"Shh!" The girl shushed her as Jeremy came down the stairs. "Hey Jer!" She greeted cheerfully. She wanted to tell Elena about her new Guardian dilemma, but she didn't want Jeremy to hear.

"Oh, hey Grace. What's up?"

"Nothing much." She replied and like that the doorbell rang. "Oh thank God! I'm starving!" Grace bellyached. Jeremy went to answer the door while the girls moved into the kitchen to get plates and napkins.

"Elena! I need the money!" Jeremy called and Grace came back into the foyer.

"Don't worry about it, Jer. I got it." Grace said while rifling through her wallet.

"Uh, here. Come in and I'll take it." Jeremy took the box from the delivery man while Grace handed him a twenty.

"Here, keep the change." She said but when she touched his hand a rush of cold ran up her arm. It was painful and vanished as quickly as it happened. It scared her but the man just gave her a smile.

"Thanks. And you have yourselves a good night." The man replied and left the house without another word. The rest of the night went off without a hitch but Grace couldn't shake the feeling from the delivery guy. She just thought that it was her intuition acting up again so she put the thought behind her. Maybe she'd ask Adam about it.

* * *

><p>"Again!" Adam said and Grace huffed once more. She'd been working with Adam on harnessing her powers. It was tough work but she didn't feel like a loose cannon. However, this lesson she was having some trouble with. She sat on the floor of her bedroom and closed her eyes. She focused on her breathing before holding her hands out, palms up. She collected her thoughts and like magic, a single flame ignited on her palms.<p>

"Adam, I just don't think this is working." She said with her eyes closed.

The Guardian chuckled, "You're doing it." Grace opened her eyes and gasped at the little flame in her hands.

"Oh my God! This is amazing!" She gaped, holding the flame in one hand and caressing it with her fingers with the other hand. It was incredible that the fire wasn't burning her. Adam taught her that a flame created by a Guardian could either be made to hurt or not. For example, Adam made a flame earlier to show her and he beckoned her closer to touch it. Grace was hesitant at first, but amazed that the fire didn't burn as she thought it would. It was all a matter of concentration on who could touch the flame and who couldn't. However this was a main weapon against vampires so it would probably hurt them either way.

"Now try to extinguish it." Adam instructed and Grace placed her hands back the way they were before closing her eyes and closing her hands. The flame went out with a puff of smoke and Grace dusted off her hands, clearly impressed with herself. "Excellent." He complimented.

"Thanks. This is pretty cool." She smiled. "So, when do you think I'll get my wings?" She asked excitedly.

"I honestly couldn't tell you. How is the pain in your shoulders?" He asked.

"Not too bad. It's actually a little bit better now that I've been training with you." She replied.

"That's because you're learning to harness everything however your powers won't be completely under control until you fully transform." He explained.

"Hmm, there's always a loophole." Grace scoffed.

"And now is the time where your emotions have a strong hold on how your powers are exhibited. For example, if you're scared or nervous, then you'll be more likely to misfire or not be able to control them."

"Got it." Grace replied.

"So, you're still socializing with the Salvatore's?" Adam spat.

"They're not my enemies, Adam. They're my friends." She defended.

"They're vampires!" He growled.

"What do you have against vampires?"

"Vampires killed my mother." Adam said and Grace shut her mouth, her reply flying right out of her head.

"What?" She asked.

"My mom was a Guardian and some vampires killed her." He explained. "They are monsters and I hate them!" Grace didn't know what to say. Damon and Stefan were her friends, but at the same time they were vampires.

"Adam…I'm sorry. I didn't know." She replied pathetically. "But Damon and Stefan are my friends."

"I understand that. Just don't expect me to be friends with them."

"I don't." She said. "Do you know who killed you mother?" Grace asked warily.

"No…and I guess I'll never know." Adam said sadly.

"I'll help you find them." She offered.

"They're probably gone, Grace."

"It doesn't matter. If I could, I would help you find them." He smiled, thankful that she would do such a thing to help him even though it was a lost cause.

"Thanks." He said and Grace gave him one of her pearly white smiles. Adam felt himself blush, she really was beautiful and he couldn't deny that when she got frustrated she looked even more adorable. He just wished she'd stay away from the Salvatore brothers, but he couldn't tell her what to do. He was ecstatic that she agreed to be trained by him. "Turn around." He said and she raised an eyebrow at him. "So I can see your back. Maybe I can see how far along your transition is." Adam explained and she complied. She was wearing a tank top with a low back due to Adam's request since her transition could happen at any time and there was no way she'd get blood on her clothes. Adam's eyes ran over her smooth back to see two small incisions, one over each shoulder blade.

"How does it look?" Grace asked, feeling his hands press on her shoulder blades.

"Does that hurt?" His fingers probed the two spots, but she didn't feel any pain.

"No. Why? Should they?" She asked, turning herself around when she felt his warm hands leave her skin.

"Not at this stage." He explained. "At this point I give you a couple of weeks before your transition starts."

"So soon…" Grace trailed off. She was excited to come upon this new stage of her life but she was frightened. Adam warned her that her transition would be very painful, but he also assured her that he would be there for her.

Adam sensed her distress and gripped her hand, "Hey, I told you I'd help you, right?" He said softly and she nodded. Grace felt comfortable warmth pass through her and felt at ease. Adam had a way of doing that to her. It was nice to know that there was someone else in this town that was just like her.

* * *

><p>A couple of days later, Grace was walking to her rental car since her Jeep was completely totaled. She missed her Jeep. Her phone rang and she answered it swiftly.<p>

"Hello?

_"Hello, Grace."_ A man's voice greeted.

"Hey, who is this?" She asked, not recognizing his voice.

_"You hit me with your car."_ The man said and Grace froze. How did this vampire manage to track her? "Is that a new one?" He taunted. Grace shivered, getting into her car and driving off. She pulled up to Elena's house and alerted her friend that the vampire in the middle of the road was now calling her. Stefan came over and suggested that Grace should stay over at Elena's just to keep her safe. He gave Elena the famed Gilbert watch that pointed to vampires. So the girls were armed with the watch and some vervain.

* * *

><p>Grace primped herself in the mirror once more and fixed the hot pink ascot around her neck. She was going to this dance as a guest, mainly because she didn't want to stay home with a vampire on the loose. Tight black leggings hugged her toned legs along with a black tank top and a 'Pink Ladies' jacket. She wasn't normally a fan of the 50's but she figured she'd get into the decade. Her hair was curled and her lips were painted with red lipstick. She even dug a pair of ballroom dancing shoes from her closet to put on her feet.<p>

Elena walked into the room, "Damn! You look really good!" She smiled and Grace couldn't help but laugh at her larger than life hair.

"Is that a 'bump-it' in your hair?" Grace asked.

"Nope. All hairspray." Elena giggled.

"Your hair just might be bullet proof." Grace laughed.

"So, now that we're alone, what is this Guardian business?" The teen asked.

"Oh, right! Well, the way I look at them it's like their Guardian angels for humans. That's really all I know." Grace explained. "Adam is one and I'll be one soon."

"When?" A wide eyed Elena asked.

"Don't know." Grace shrugged as she fluffed up her hair.

"Wait, so if you'll be an angel…will you have wings?" Elena inquired.

"Yes ma'am. Big white ones."

"That's pretty cool actually!" Elena smiled but quickly stiffened when she heard a noise. The girls looked around the room, their senses on high alert. "Jenna? Jeremy?" Elena called but there was no answer. Grace suddenly got a tight feeling in her throat as she heard the compass whirling on the bed. She held it in her hand and watched the point spin around and around. Grace grabbed her phone and dialed the first number she could think of.

_"Well I was wondering when you'd finally give into your desires for me."_

"Where is Stefan?" She asked quickly as she ran down the steps with Elena in tow.

_"He's on his way to Elena's."_ Damon answered.

"Thank God. This compass was spinning so it's probably Stefan." Grace let out a breath of relief. "Thank you."

_"You're welcome."_ He purred. Grace hung up the phone when suddenly a person dropped from the ceiling. The girls screamed, seeing it was a vampire. The man hissed and lunged for Elena but Grace threw her hands and that propelled the vampire off the teen. He snarled and Grace held out her hand, a flame igniting and she threw it at the vampire but missed. She tried to make another flame but the vampire stalked towards her, effectively making her emotions uncontrollable. She trembled and the vampire snickered at her before lunging at her once again, but was tackled by Stefan. The two vampires snarled at each other and the intruder blurred through the door.

* * *

><p>"How did he get in?" Damon asked as the two girls and Stefan sat on the couch. Elena and Grace were still shaken up from what happened.<p>

"He was invited in." Elena replied as she rubbed her hand over Grace's back. Needless to say, she was upset that she managed to lose control over her emotions.

"He posed as a pizza delivery guy last night." Grace mumbled with her face in her hands. She couldn't believe she completely let her emotions run haywire. She was beyond angry with herself that she fudged up her powers.

"Well he gets points for that." Damon smirked and Grace raised her head to glare at the vampire. "Did he say what he wanted?" He asked.

"No he was too busy trying to kill us." Grace said snidely.

"Damon, he was invited in." Stefan said seriously and Damon nodded, getting his drift.

"Then we go get him tonight." Damon said.

"You girls up for it?" Stefan asked them.

"What do we have to do?" Elena asked.

"The both of you go to the dance and we'll see who shows up." Damon said.

"We'll do it." Grace said determinedly.

* * *

><p>Grace couldn't deny that the gym looked great decorated for the dance. She let a smile conform to her lips thinking about the fun times she shared with her friends in this gym when she was a student at Mystic Falls High. Most of her friends had moved on, went to college, got married and did big things with their lives. Grace on the other hand went to college in New York since her family had moved there after her father died. However she always felt herself being drawn back to Mystic Falls. Perhaps it was where she felt most comfortable, but sometimes she wished that she'd moved on like her friends. Grace was talking with Bonnie and Caroline at the dance when Damon came over. Bonnie and Caroline glared at him while he just smirked widely.<p>

"Hi, Bonnie. Wanna dance?" He asked.

"I'm outta here." She scoffed but Damon stopped her.

"Please give me another chance." He pleaded but she stalked off.

"Back off, Damon." Caroline growled and sauntered away, leaving Grace with Damon.

"Well, that was…interesting." Grace snickered and Damon rolled his eyes at her.

"Where did they go?" Elena asked as her and Stefan walked up to the duo.

"I don't know." Damon said.

"What did you say to them?" Stefan prodded.

"I was perfectly polite." Damon said. "Elena, would you like to dance?" He smirked at her and she smiled back.

"I'd love to." She said before turning to Stefan, "May I have this dance?" She asked and Stefan took her arm in his, looping them and led Elena to the dance floor.

Grace stifled her laughter that Damon was rejected for yet a third time. She turned to get some punch but felt herself being yanked into someone's chest. She looked up to see Damon smirking down at her. "What are you doing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Blending." He said simply. "Besides, you'd be a lot safer with me than on your own."

"I'll be fine. That thing at the house was a slip up." She said dismissively.

"Hey, it's alright. Everyone has off days. I'm certainly not beating you up about it."

"Yeah, especially now that I can burn you up." She laughed.

"I think you already burn me up." Damon smirked and Grace rolled her eyes, but it faded into a smile. "So, you and Adam?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Are not together." She said. "But he's helping me with my powers."

"Yeah, that's what you think." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Oh come on! He's helping me, seriously." Grace said.

"Please, he would love to do more than train with you." Damon taunted.

"Very funny." Grace said sarcastically. "Now that you've used every sexual innuendo in the book, can we go back to finding this rogue vampire?" She said, looking over his shoulder but Damon twirled her out and then back in again so her back was up against his chest.

"No, I think I'm having way too much fun here with you." He smirked and snaked his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder, his lips dangerously close to her ear, as he continued to dance with her. He pressed up against her, smirking hearing her heart skip a couple beats. Damon just loved the way her tight leggings conformed to every contour of her sinfully strong legs and that supple behind of hers.

"Damon, I'm serious." She tried to keep her voice strong but it wavered being so close to him. Damon's hands danced up and down her taut sides and she visibly shivered.

"So am I. Now, do you see him?" He asked as they continued to dance. Grace's eyes scanned the crowd but she didn't see the vampire in question. He was teasing her and she knew it, but she wasn't exactly telling him to stop.

"No." She answered simply, but gasped when she felt Damon's thumbs rubbing her hip bones.

"Careful, Grace." He whispered in her ear. "Wouldn't want to be too eager now." He teased, his warm breath caressing her skin.

"You're an ass." She muttered and she twisted herself around. The two danced for a little while when Grace followed Damon's gaze over her shoulder.

"Ooh, be right back." He said, leaving her but she gripped his arm.

"Wait! Where are going?" She asked quickly.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch." He smirked and she glared at him. "I'm just going to introduce myself to the history teacher." He jerked his head in the direction of Alaric Saltzman, the new history teacher at Mystic Falls High since Tanner died. Grace nodded slightly, suddenly aware that she would be alone since Elena and Stefan were dancing together and Bonnie and Caroline were who knows where. Grace reached for a glass of punch when her body froze and a vision took over.

_"I'm just trying to get the journal. Stick to the plan and stop playing around with that girl." A woman said as she spoke with a man in the hallway. Grace recognized him as the vampire that attacked her and Elena, but the girl was a mystery._

_"Oh, the dancer? Oh come on, I'm just having my fun with her. Besides, she tried to burn me." The man growled._

_"You think she's a witch?" She asked._

_"I don't know. I'll taste her and let you know." The vampire smirked._

_"Don't be stupid. Those girls are with the Salvatore brothers." She said heatedly._

_"They don't scare me. They never have." The vampire growled. "You will get what you came for. Just let me have my fun."_

Grace panicked seeing that her vision alerted her that the vampire was in the school. She looked around for Stefan and Damon but came up empty handed. Suddenly her phone rang, making her jump momentarily before she answered it.

"Hello, Grace." The vampire snickered.

"What do you want?" She growled while still looking around for the vampire in question.

"I just wanna have some fun. Now you'd be smart to follow your friend Elena if you don't want anyone to get hurt." He said and Grace looked over her shoulder to see Elena running out the gym door.

"Shit!" Grace cursed, hanging up the phone and running after Elena. Grace ran faster even though Elena wasn't in sight. She pushed open the cafeteria doors to see Elena shoving herself against the door. Grace joined her, but the door didn't budge.

"Hello ladies." The girl's whipped around to see the vampire stalking towards them. Grace pushed Elena to run, which she did but the vampire lunged for her. He caught her and shoved her against the wall. Grace threw two fire balls at his back and he doubled over, allowing Elena to escape with Grace in tow, but the vampire gripped Grace's hair, pulling her back to him. He threw her against the wall, cornering her with his hand still tunneled in her hair. "What are you?" He snarled at her and she whimpered in pain. "How about I have a taste and find out?" He smirked and bent down to bite her when Elena jabbed at him with a pencil, effectively stabbing him in the back. He whirled on Elena but Stefan intervened. He threw the vampire into a lunch table and the girl's hid behind Stefan.

"Hey, dickhead!" Damon called as he stood by the door with a stake in his hands. "Nobody wants to kill you. Just wanna talk." He said innocently and the vampire smirked before lunging at Grace once again but Damon threw the stake to his brother who stabbed the rogue vampire. He fell to his knees in pain as Elena and Grace looked on.

"Now you feel like talking?" Stefan taunted.

"Screw you." The vampire spat and Stefan twisted the stake.

"Wrong answer." Stefan growled, bending down to the vampire's level. "Why are you doing this?"

"Cause its fun." He snickered, causing Damon to smirk and Stefan to twist the stake again. Elena shivered seeing Stefan so ruthless.

"What do you want with them?" Stefan asked.

"She looks like Katherine." He said, jerking his head to Elena. "And she," He looked to Grace, "is obviously not human."

"You knew Katherine?" Damon asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"You thought you were the only ones. You don't even remember me."

"Tell me how to get in the tomb." Damon demanded.

"No." The vampire spat and Stefan jerked the stake harder. "The grimoire." He choked out.

"Where is it?" Damon pressed.

"Check the journal. Jonathan Gilbert's." He said.

"Who else is working with you?" Stefan asked.

"Who else is there?" Damon demanded.

"No, you're gonna have to kill me." The vampire said and Damon gave Stefan a look. The younger brother yanked the stake from the vampire and Grace and Elena looked away but the sound of the wood piercing the vampire's heart made them squirm.

"How are you gonna find the other's now?" Elena asked.

"There's a girl with him. I had a vision of the two of them together before this happened." Grace spoke up but a sound in the hallway suggested that someone else might be around.

"Go. I got this." Stefan said simply and the group left.

* * *

><p>Grace returned back to Elena's house to pick up her things to head home but Stefan said he needed to speak with her and Elena.<p>

"Look, I told Damon that I'd help him get into that tomb and get Katherine back, but it was a lie. I let him believe that he could trust me." Stefan said.

"Why would you worry about telling us this?" Grace asked.

"Because he can be very persuasive and you two have bonded lately." Stefan said.

"That doesn't mean I trust him." Grace defended. "It'll take a lot more than just a road trip and a rescue for me to forget who Damon is and everything he's done."

"I don't want to be his enemy, but I can't let him do it." Stefan said.

"Then don't and I'll help you. Whatever it takes." Elena said, but Grace wasn't sure she would be able to go behind Damon's back as easily as Elena and Stefan.

"Please, Grace. I can't let him do this." Stefan begged, his eyes pleading.

"Yeah, sure Stefan." Grace said dismissively. She just wanted to get their eyes off of her. "I'll see you guys later, alright? I'm really beat from tonight." Grace mumbled however Stefan and Elena could see that the young girl was conflicted. Could she really just lie to him after all they've been through?

* * *

><p>Grace leaned against her closed bedroom door and she exhaled. She just couldn't get over what happened tonight. She was happy that the vampire was gone but it only left reason to believe that more vampires were crawling around Mystic Falls. Grace pulled out a pair of pajama pants from her dresser drawer when her eyes caught the glare of the moonlight over the glass casing of a picture frame. She sighed deeply before gently plucking the frame from its place on the dresser top and holding it close to her. The photograph was of a little girl with brown curls piled up in a high pony tail with a big scrunchie to match her pale pink dress. She was laughing and smiling while sitting on the lap of a handsome man in his thirties with short brown hair and brown eyes. Grace smiled herself and ran a slim finger over the man's face. Those were the good old days, she thought as she wandered over to her bed with the frame still in her hands. Her father died when she was a teenager of a heart failure, or at least that was the lie her mother concocted. His death had been a significant blow for Grace and her family, like any death was, but Grace learned what a broken heart felt like when she was just a teenager. Her father was her hero. He was a man who loved his family dearly and was an all around good person.<p>

Grace was angry at her mother for lying to her but she understood that you couldn't exactly tell a ten year old that her father died because he was a Guardian. Her mom just wanted to protect her and that worked for a while until she came back to Mystic Falls. She dropped down on the bed and took the photo out of the frame to take a closer look at it.

"I miss you Dad." She whispered, wishing he could see her now. She would talk to her father often even though she knew he was long gone. It kept her at peace and she always felt as if her father's spirit was around her. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you I was friends with vampires." She laughed lightly. "They're not bad people though. Stefan is sweet and he just wants to help Elena. And then there's Damon…he's certainly the reason why father's should be allowed to own shot guns. He means well. He's just been hurt by this girl who he's trying to get back." She mumbled and couldn't help but get a little jealous hearing about Katherine. Grace honestly took a liking to Damon when he wasn't being a self serving psychopath. He had a good side to him and she'd try to bring it out of him. "I wish you could tell me what to do about the tomb. I don't want him to open it because I know something bad will happen, but Stefan and Elena want to get him out of Mystic Falls." Grace mused as if she was talking to a real person.

Hearing no answer, Grace kissed the photo, placing it neatly back in the frame and sat it on her bedside table. "I'll be a Guardian just like you, Dad. I hope I can be as good as you." She whispered and pulled the covers over her and snuggled into her pillow.

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><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed this one!<strong>

**Please review :-)**


	12. Children of the Damned

**God, my fingers hurt from typing -_- PS, did anyone else flip out that Elijah is undaggered? So overjoyed :) Thanks Damon xoxo**

**Thanks so much for reviewing and reading even though I am taking a little longer to update with some stories**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88 - Check out her Damon/OC**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

* * *

><p><em>"Grace." A masculine voice called her and she looked over her shoulder. She smiled warmly seeing that it was Adam. His wings were spread out around his broad shoulders. Grace ran to him, the grains of sand sloshing under her bare feet. As she reached him, she let her wings sprout from her back.<em>

_"What do you think?" She asked as she twirled for him. Her wings were a little smaller than Adam's but they would grow in time. The pure white feathers tickled her skin since she was still getting used to them._

_"They're beautiful." He said sweetly and she smiled widely. Adam's fingers trailed delicately over the soft fibers and Grace sighed daintily. "Like you." He added and her eyes blinked up to meet his. Adam stepped closer and Grace shivered as she felt the feathers of Adam's wings brush her skin. She let her own wings flap lightly against her back. Her eyes moved over the masculine features of his face. His big brown eyes bore into hers and she lifted her hand to comb her fingers through his dark hair. Adam's wings were big enough to expand and curl around Grace and that pushed her closer to him. His hand titled her chin up so her lips were level with his. Grace's eyes lids fluttered closed as she felt Adam's warm breath caressing her lips. He pulled her closer, their lips softly brushing against one another's and then…_

"Someone's hot for their teacher." A snarky voice made Grace jolt from her sleep. She nearly screamed seeing Damon was lying in bed with her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she held the blanket over her skimpy choice of nightwear.

"Good morning." The vampire sang and Grace huffed impatiently. "Sorry to disturb your sweet dreams." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"What do you want, Damon?" She grumbled.

"Just to see your lovely face this morning, however I'd rather you moan my name than angel boys." He smirked and Grace rolled her eyes. Why did he have to interrupt such sweet dreams? She looked at her clock to see that she had to be at the dance studio in about an hour. She threw off her covers and got out of bed, trying to pull her oversized t-shirt down but it wasn't too effective. Damon whistled at the view he was currently getting.

"You're such an ass." Grace scoffed, pulling a pair of pajama pants from her draw and dragging them up her legs. Damon pouted and watched her pull some clothes out of her dresser and shove them into a bag. Grace tapped her chin, trying to remember where she had stashed her pointe shoes when she recalled that they were in her closet. She turned to walk to the closet and walked right into Damon. "Ugh, can you warn me when you want to use your vampire speed?" She raised an eyebrow before side stepping him and moving to her closet.

"Oh, but I love watching you jump ten feet out of your skin." He taunted.

"You came for a reason, I hope?" She asked as she retrieved her shoes, throwing them in her dance bag as well.

"Yep. Elena is on journal duty so I want you to tell me about any visions you have about the journal." Damon explained while plucking a picture from her dresser. He smirked looking at Grace in a full split, her arms high above her head with a huge smile on her face.

"I told you, Damon. My visions don't work like that. Sometimes I get them and sometimes I don't." Grace said.

"Wow…were you always this flexible?" He asked out of the blue and Grace rolled her eyes, taking the picture from him.

"Can you not touch my things please?" She pleaded but he ignored her. He picked up another picture in a frame and Grace jumped for it but he held it out of her reach.

"Who's this?" Damon asked.

"Give it back!" She growled, jumping once again.

"Who is this handsome man? I mean, he's not as devilishly handsome as me." The vampire smirked.

"It's me and my dad!" Grace snapped and Damon wordlessly handed her the frame back. He knew that he had died as per Stefan and Elena. Grace eyed the picture again before placing it back on her dresser. The vampire could see a glimmer of sadness in her brown eyes.

"He was a Guardian too?" He was trying to break the tense silence between them.

Grace simply nodded. "He died a couple of years after this picture was taken." She said sadly.

"I'm sorry." Damon said honestly. He really didn't mean to upset her and he had no idea she'd get so angry that he decided to touch her things.

"Thanks." She smiled weakly and slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see what I can do about the journal, okay?" Grace said and Damon nodded. She walked downstairs and placed her hand on the door knob.

"Grace?" Damon called and she looked back at him. "I really am sorry." He apologized.

"Thank you, Damon." She said with a bigger smile and left the house.

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><p>It was the gentle swish of her pointe shoes moving across the wooden floor that made Grace tick. It had been much too long since she was last in the studio with all this vampire drama going on. Not to mention she missed a lot of work. There was her solo piece, which she still hadn't even chosen a song for, and her other dances for each class. In short, she was inundated. She'd gotten into the studio extra early to get her own room and stretch and drill the numbers she missed and she was beyond ecstatic to be dancing again. The pain in her back had been strangely quiet, for which she was thankful, and the fear of her transition was eased with the dreams she'd been having lately. They were beautiful dreams. She'd be in a warm place with her wings wrapped securely around her. She felt the softness of the feathers'caresses against her back and arms and often woke up believing that her transformation had already happened. Those dreams felt so real and wonderful – and then reality set in.<p>

_If roses are meant to be red_

_And violets to be blue_

_Why is my heart meant for you?_

_My hands longing to touch you_

_But I can barely breathe_

_Starry eyes that make me melt_

_Right in front of me_

She thought about Adam. The two of them had become incredibly close even though he still didn't take kindly to the fact that Grace was running around with vampires. He was sweet and gentle while being an excellent teacher. She learned so much from him and honestly wouldn't know what to do without him. They had such a connection with each other. He was the only one who knew what she was going through internally and externally and he was the only one who could really help her with all this Guardian business. The dream she had this morning made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

_Lost in this world_

_I even get lost in this song_

_And when the lights go down_

_That is where I'll be found_

_I get lost in this world_

_And I get lost in your eyes_

_And when the lights go down_

_That's where I'll be found_

Then a certain blue eyed vampire crossed her mind. Damon was the complete opposite of Adam. He was dark and dangerous, but Grace felt a pull towards him. Perhaps it was his bad boy nature or his incessant nagging at her bedroom window some nights. He kept his promise about not hurting her mother or Adam and she respected him for that. Then there was this tomb problem. If Damon was to get what he wanted, which is Katherine, then he'd leave Mystic Falls for good, but Grace had a bad feeling about opening that tomb. She knew deep in her gut that Damon wouldn't get what he wanted and that would cause some consequences. Grace would sometimes dream of Katherine. The resemblance the vampire shared with Elena was uncanny. She was hauntingly beautiful even with blood covering her chin and lips. Grace understood why the brothers were so taken with her, but Grace thought of her as nothing but a common deceiver.

Grace let her hips and body swivel to the beat of a new song that was coming through the stereo. She loved pop music and she even taught a hip hop class or two at the studio. Music spoke to her. It sounded corny but it was the truth. She could hear a song and just start dancing to it without holding back. Grace smirked at the irony of the song that was playing and that she was thinking of Damon when the song came on. She was now in jazz sneakers and her curls framed her face as opposed to being in the severely tight bun from before.

_He ate my heart_

_He a-a-ate my heart_

_He ate my heart_

_He a-a-ate my heart out_

_Look at him_

_Look at me_

_That boy is bad_

_And honestly_

_He's a wolf in disguise_

_But I can't stop staring in those evil eyes_

Damon was ruthless and very rough and monstrous but Grace couldn't deny her attraction to the blue eyed vampire. She wouldn't admit it to him or anyone else. At times she even had trouble admitting it to herself. Whenever he'd cross her subconscious she'd shiver. He was devilish and he just oozed sex.

_That boy is a monster_

_M-m-m-monster_

_That boy is a monster_

_M-m-m-monster_

Oh he was a monster alright. A beautiful, blue eyed monster and Grace wouldn't mind if he hid under her bed.

Grace's cell phone ringing brought her out of her Damon daze. She shut off the music and glanced at the clock. Shit! She was late again! She threw on a pair of jeans over her tights and a zip-up hoodie over her leotard before grabbing her things and running out of the studio.

Grace made her way over to the Grill. She was supposed to pick up dessert for the dinner at Elena's house tonight but once again her dancing got the best of her. Elena was having her over for a family dinner. It made sense; she and Grace were very close. Her eyes were so glued to her blackberry that she wasn't watching where she was going and bumped into someone.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so…" She started to apologize but she smiled seeing who she had run into. "Ben McKittrick!"

"Grace Clark." The guy greeted her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Grace smirked as she looked him over. She and Ben were classmates when they were back in Mystic Falls High. They had always been good friends and one night had a fling at a party their senior year that was never repeated to anyone, but their friendship was still strong. He was the star football player and even though Grace wasn't a cheerleader, she was a hot shot around school. "I thought you were in college, Mr. Football Star." She said.

"I was. I took some time off to come home." He replied and gave her a once over with his eyes. "Wow, you look incredible."

"You don't look too bad yourself." She said with a cheeky smile. He really grew up nicely. He had a big build with dark hair and dark eyes.

"Still dancing?"

"My heart away." She smiled sweetly as she walked up to the counter and ordered an apple pie to go. Ben of course followed her.

"How are you doing, by the way?" He asked solemnly and Grace knew what he was getting at. Her father died when she was a freshman in high school so it was a big deal in the school. Everyone came to the service and Grace just wasn't exactly the same. She put up a strong front but everyone could tell that something was eating her. Ben had always been there for her but they unfortunately lost touch over the years.

"I've been doing alright." She answered. "Thank you."

"Look, uh, I know this is kinda sudden but would you like to go out sometime?" Ben smiled and Grace felt her heart flutter. What was with these men in Mystic Falls? Was there something in the water? First it was Adam, then Damon and now Ben.

"I would like that a lot." Grace nodded and Ben pulled out a pen. He took her hand in his and wrote his number on her hand. The point of the pen tickled her skin and Ben laughed with her. "I just have plans earlier this evening."

"That's alright. I'm meeting a friend here around five, but if I'm done earlier I'll let you know?" He inquired.

"Sure, that's fine."

* * *

><p>"Hello Grace." Damon's voice smirked as she came through the front door. What the hell was he doing here? And why was he in the kitchen with Aunt Jenna?<p>

"Hey, you." Jenna greeted over her shoulder. "I got a message from Elena, she said to start cooking and that she and Stefan will be home soon." She said, taking a sip from her wine glass.

"Yeah that's fine. I was actually running late anyways." Grace laughed off the fact that half of Jenna's statement was true. Yes, they were coming later but right now they were working with Adam to help find a clearer location on the journal. Adam wanted Damon out of Mystic Falls just as badly as Stefan so the two of them came to an agreement to help each other out. Jenna went upstairs while Grace bustled around the kitchen. Damon had already started cooking so she just jumped in and started helping. She gathered some plates from the cabinet and took them to the table but Damon bumped into her.

"Whoa, hmm." Damon smirked and Grace rolled her eyes, side stepping him and put the plates on the table.

"Don't do that." She scoffed.

"Do what?" The vampire asked innocently as he made his way over to the stove.

"You know what. That move was deliberate." She protested.

"Yeah I was deliberately trying to get to the sink." He defended himself and Grace shrugged it off. "Where is Stefan? He's missing family night, which I am enjoying immensely."

"I don't know. He's your brother." Grace said as she took a pinch of salt and sprinkled it in the pot that was currently resting on the stove top. Damon watched her stir the sauce in the pot and she tasted a little bit of it. She surveyed the flavor and added some finely chopped basil to the sauce.

"You like to cook?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Yeah, my dad taught me." She said simply and recalled the memories where she would stand on a chair near the stove and watch her dad cook. Grace sighed as she watched the memories pass her by until they were nothing but transparent before her eyes. "My mom couldn't cook." Grace laughed.

"You still sore at me from earlier today?" Damon inquired.

"No, I got over it." Grace shrugged. "It's just something I never really got over. Him dying, you know?" Damon just nodded and tasted the sauce. It was good. It was really good.

"Your old man taught you well." He said and Grace gave him a bright smile.

"I'd like to think so. I do make a mean vodka sauce." She laughed.

"I'll bet I make a better one than you." He challenged and Grace placed her hands on her hips.

"Is that a challenge?" She raised a playful eyebrow at him and he smirked back at her.

"Mmhmm." He hummed. "By the way, have you gotten any visions about the journal?" He asked.

"Nope, I've got nothing. Sometimes my visions come through as dreams and I've had dreams of Katherine but not the journal." She replied simply. It was the truth. "Katherine could be Elena's twin!"

"How do those things work? Like you just touch someone?" Damon mused.

"Well, kinda." She said as she set the table.

"Speaking of the journal and my brother, is it real?"

"Is what real?"

"This renewed sense of brotherhood." Damon replied as he tasted some more of the sauce. He looked over his shoulder and Grace looked back at him. "Can I trust him?"

"Yes, you can trust him." She answered with absolutely no waver or crack in her voice. Lies! All lies! Damon wasn't convinced since he blurred himself to stand behind her. Grace wasn't scared this time because she felt the rush of air and the heat radiated off his body. She turned to face him and Damon's blue eyes were analyzing everything about her. She stood her ground; she had to play this off for Stefan and Elena.

"Can I trust him?" He asked again and Grace took a step back, wrinkling her nose.

"I put vervain in everything I drink, Damon. It's not gonna work."

"I'm not compelling you." He said and Grace cocked her head to the side. "I just want you to answer me, honestly." Damon was practically pleading with her to tell him the truth but she just couldn't.

"Of course you can." Grace said firmly and Damon stopped his advances. Looks like she'd sold it.

"There was a time when I trusted Stefan more than anyone." He said after some moments of silence.

"Trust breeds trust." She sang as she popped some M&M's in her mouth. Grace was eyeing them ever since she walked into the kitchen and was craving chocolate. "You have to give it to get it."

"Are you lecturing me?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you need to be lectured?" Grace smirked with her hands on her hips.

"I just want her back." He said simply. "I'm sure you can understand that."

"I can understand that you'd do anything for her, yes." She said and brought a bowl over to the table. She set it down when she felt Damon's breath down the back of her neck. Grace almost shivered but she managed to keep her composure.

"Then you understand what I will do if anyone gets in my way." Damon whispered menacingly in her ear before moving away from her like nothing happened. Grace knew Damon wasn't kidding. She'd seen his bad side and she just knew that she had to get through tonight.

* * *

><p>"So, how exactly are we going to find it?" Grace asked as she and Adam walked through the dark forest. Stefan and Elena had come home and Adam shot her a text to get her to leave. Stefan was going to keep Damon occupied while Adam and Grace looked for the location of the grimoire. He had gotten a copy of the journal from Mr. Saltzman and Stefan had a hunch that it was buried with his father so Grace and Adam were now looking for a gravesite. "Don't tell me Guardian's can see dead people too." She joked and Adam laughed along with her.<p>

"Not exactly." He said and the two stopped walking. They looked over at the endless amounts of tombstones in the graveyard and Grace sighed.

"Yeah, this is gonna take a while."

"It doesn't have to." Adam said. "Gimme your hands." She placed her dainty hands in his and they both closed their eyes. Her heart fluttered as he stood close to her, just like in her dream. "Now, focus on what you want to find." Grace let her mind wander as she said Damon and Stefan's fathers name aloud.

"Giuseppe Salvatore." They repeated at the same time and a flash of light sparked from within the woods.

"Found it." Adam smirked and the two of them picked up their shovels again and walked toward the light.

"I would ask you to teach me that trick but I don't think I'll need to find anymore dead bodies." Grace said.

"But you do agree that it comes in handy."

"I guess we start digging." Grace said and shoved the point of the shovel into the ground. The two kept digging when Stefan and Elena arrived. They helped removed the layers and layers of dirt until Stefan and Adam jumped down in the hole and lifted a casket up onto the level ground. The boys popped the top open and Stefan took what looked like an old, worn spell book from the mess of bones. "Is that it?" She asked and Stefan nodded. He took the book in his hands and let his fingers skim over the dusty cover.

"Well, what do you know?" Damon's voice growled from behind them and the group stood frozen. "This is an interesting turn of events."

"I can't let you bring her back. I'm sorry." Stefan apologized but Damon wasn't fazed.

"So am I. For thinking for a second that I can trust you." The elder vampire snapped.

"Oh, you're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself." Stefan said.

"Of course I was going to do it by myself because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan." Damon sneered and suddenly his eyes turned to Grace. "But you…you had me fooled." He said sadly and Grace wanted to crawl in a hole. The one in the ground was perfect. She was upset that she had hurt Damon, but none of them thought that he would have found the gravesite. Damon's lingering gaze finally left the soon-to-be Guardian and moved back to Stefan again. "So, what are you going to do now? Cause if you try and destroy that, I'll rip Grace's heart out." He growled and Adam stepped in front of Grace.

"You'll have to get through me first." The Guardian glared and his wings sprouted from his strong back.

"How about I clip those wings of yours? Only after I tear off every single feather." Damon sneered, but Adam didn't budge. Grace stepped in between the two opposing forces, hoping to somehow keep the peace.

"Stop it! The both of you." She shouted. "You won't kill me, Damon." It was a stupid move to challenge him but she didn't want Adam to get hurt.

"Oh yeah?" Damon huffed and grabbed Grace, blurring them a couple feet away from the group and held her tightly to him. "I can do one better." He whispered in her ear and bit his wrist. He shoved the bleeding bite wound to her mouth and Grace struggled but he forced her to drink. The metallic taste slid down her throat and Grace coughed, some blood dribbling down her chin and Damon removed his wrist.

"Let her go, Damon!" Adam growled and his hands glowed a golden color. He was ready to fight.

"Not until I get that book." Damon hissed. "What would a Guardian slash vampire look like?" He taunted. "Either way I think she'd still be pretty hot."

"Damon, stop it!" Elena screamed.

"Give me the book, Stefan or I'm snapping her neck and Adam will have a vampire/Guardian girlfriend." The vampire threatened and Stefan carefully handed the book to Adam.

"Let her go first." Stefan negotiated.

"Drop it." Damon jerked his head to the book in Adam's hand.

"I'm not going to give this to you unless she's standing over here." The Guardian protested.

"Problem is I no longer trust that you'll give it back."

"You just did the one thing that ensures that I will." Adam said and extended the book out to Damon. The vampire eyed it before pulling Grace closer to him. His lips caressed her neck and she shivered in his grip, praying that he wouldn't end her life right then and there. She was already going to be a Guardian, she didn't need to add vampire to the list. Adam held the book up so Damon could see it before lowering it down to the ground. Grace felt Damon's hold on her relax and she tensed up before relaxing. She hesitantly put one foot in front of the other, her eyes on Adam's the entire time. The Guardian held his hand out to her and she gripped it. Adam pulled her into his embrace and Grace buried her face in his chest. He continued to glare at Damon as he tucked his wings against his back before they disappeared. Elena and Stefan ran over as well to see if Grace was alright but she didn't want to look at any of them. Adam led the group away with Grace still clinging to him and they left Damon with his precious grimoire.

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><p>"Is my head supposed to hurt like this?" Grace asked as she massaged her temples and they walked up her front steps.<p>

"It's just the after affects of the vampire blood in your system." Adam explained. "Grace, I'm sorry that Damon did that to you."

"I didn't expect any less from him." She mumbled as she tucked a curl behind her ear and they stood at her front door.

"And I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything." He muttered pathetically. "I just didn't want him to hurt you."

"I know that." Grace said. "You looked very Guardian-like tonight." She laughed.

"Well I wanted to protect you." He said with a smile. "You'll look the same when you finish your transition."

"I've dreamt about it. Oh, Adam it looks so amazing!" She gushed. "I see you there too and I don't feel afraid anymore. It's almost like I'm ready to do this."

"You are ready."

"You tell me that in my dreams." She whispered. "And you also tell me I'm beautiful."

"Well, that's the truth. There's no hiding that." He smiled and her eyes flicked up to meet his. "And then what happens?"

"I touch your wings and you shiver a little bit." Grace said.

"And then?"

"You pull me closer." Her voice was deep and husky as she stared into his brown eyes. His hand cupped her cheek as he took a step in. "Adam…" She trailed off as her face heated up.

"What happens next, Grace?" He whispered. His lips dangerously close to hers and his breath tickled her cheeks.

"You kiss me." She hushed and Adam's lips gently touched hers. Grace's eyes fluttered closed, just like in her dream, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as Adam's lips moved softly over hers. Adam hugged her close to him and she felt a tingle starting in her lips and it moved throughout her entire body. The events of tonight's horror left her mind completely as she relaxed into Adam's embrace. His kiss was like a warm haze that completely numbed her body, but she gave herself willingly to it.

"Well isn't this sweet." A dark voice snickered from the darkness and the two broke apart. Grace was able to make out the dark figure as her eyes squinted.

"Ben?" Grace called to the man who was standing just off her porch. Adam's hands still held her hips and she felt his fingers flex. He was tensing because of Ben's presence. Grace was even a little terrified herself because she never saw Ben look so menacing and dangerous. "What are you doing here?"

"Grace, get inside." Adam commanded as he kept his eyes on Ben's form. Grace followed his request but stopped when she ran into someone's chest. She looked up to see it was the woman from her vision on the night of the 50's dance.

"See, I'm afraid that I can't let her do that." Ben smirked and the new vampire lunged for Adam. She ripped into his throat and Grace tried to scream but Ben's hand was covering her mouth. The female vampire drank hungrily and muffled Adam's cries as well. The Guardian fell limp and the girl let him go. Grace hit Ben with all her might but he growled down at her. She immediately stopped her struggling and let her tears run down her cheeks, seeing Adam lying motionless on the ground.

"Come on, Ben, let's move. You don't have long till the sun comes up." The female said and Grace saw Adam twitched slightly. Grace bit Ben's hand and he growled, letting her go momentarily.

"Adam! Adam, help please!" Grace screamed but she was quickly silenced by Ben.

"If you don't shut up, I'll snap his neck so fast his head will spin. Got it?" He hissed in her ear and she had to comply. Grace nodded and whimpered as Ben dragged her off the front porch. "Aww, don't cry. We're gonna have some fun." Ben snickered as the two of them walked off into the night.

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><p><strong>What do you think guys? Please lemme know and please review :)<strong>


	13. Fool Me Once part 1

**On to the next one! Thanks so much for the reviews :-D**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD, only Grace and my story.**

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><p>"Adam? What the hell happened to you?" Stefan asked as he eyed the Guardian that stood just outside the boarding house. His shirt had dried blood stains on it, but he didn't look injured.<p>

"Vampires. They took Grace." He said. His brown eyes flashed with worry and anger.

"What? When?"

"Last night. There were two of them. She knew one of them." Adam explained.

"Please, come in." Stefan stood aside, letting the Guardian inside. The two walked into the parlor to see Damon flipping through the journal from last night.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Damon asked snidely as he continued to scan over the old, worn pages.

"Grace is missing." Stefan replied but Damon still seemed unconcerned. "Is there anything you can do to find her?" He asked.

"I could try tracking her. It might work." Adam answered and Stefan's phone suddenly blared out.

"Hello?"

"_Stefan! Bonnie's gone! I have no idea where she is!"_ Elena's terrified voice came over the line. The vampire ran a nervous hair through his hair before replying. _"I've texted her and called her but her phone just goes to voicemail."_

"Come on over. Grace is missing too."

"_What? We just saw her last night…oh god! What if something happened to them?"_ The teen cried and Stefan was trying to calm her down.

"Elena, please just come over. Adam is here and he's going to see if he can find them." Stefan replied and hung up. Within ten minutes, Elena was beating down the door of the boarding house and the four of them were together in the study.

"I'm assuming Bonnie was grabbed first since Grace and I were ambushed last night. One of them bit me and I heard the girl said to her partner that they didn't have long before the sun came up." Adam explained.

"How did you heal yourself?" Stefan asked. "You're not a vampire, unless you drink vampire blood."

"I'm a Guardian so my body can heal on its own. Granted it's not as fast as a vampire heals but it still comes in handy." He said. "Another perk is that I can also heal others if the situation presents itself."

"But what about Grace? Can she heal herself too?" Elena asked worriedly.

"No, she hasn't completed her transformation yet so she can't." Adam said.

"What if she and Bonnie are hurt? What if they died?" Elena nervously wrung her hands together.

"Well, then you'd at least see one of them again." Damon finally chimed in. "The vampire blood might not have passed out of her system." He smirked.

"She'd never forgive you." Adam growled and Damon just shrugged.

"How can you just sit by while two of my best friends are missing?" Elena snapped.

"Simple. I'm sitting here, aren't I?" Damon quipped. "Although I can point out one good thing in this, no one really knows what would happen if a soon-to-be Guardian died with vampire blood in their system." He mused as he got up from his comfortable chair and walked closer to the three frenzied friends. "Even if nothing happens, at least you know you'll see her again."

"Dick!" Adam sneered and Damon moved to the Guardian but Stefan blocked his way.

"Look, Damon, I know you're upset that Katherine got taken away from you because of me and I'm sorry." Stefan said in an effort to appease his older brother.

"Apology accepted." Damon's eyes were still glued on Adam's form even though he heard everything that was coming out of Stefan's mouth.

"But please, if you know anything. Tell us what you know." Stefan pleaded and Damon smirked a little.

"I mean this sincerely…I hope Grace dies." Damon said as his eyes bore in the Guardian's. Overcome with rage, Adam reared his arm back, his fist connecting with Damon's cheek. Elena's hands flew up her mouth, gasping that someone had stood up to Damon. The vampire growled low in his chest, getting ready to hit him back but Elena's hand came into contact with his other cheek. Damon was stunned that two people dared to get on his shit list.

"How dare you!" Elena sneered. "She's my friend, Damon! How could you say something like that?" She went to hit him again but Stefan stopped her while Adam continued to glare at Damon. The elder Salvatore scowled at the three of them before taking his journal and stalking out of the room. Adam stole a look down at his fist to see his knuckles were slightly purple. He shook out his hand, a painful sting accompanying the bruises. "Oh, your hand." Elena said sadly.

"It's alright. He's lucky I didn't take another couple of shots at him for what he said." Adam mused.

"You care about Grace, don't you?" Elena asked softly and Adam's dark brown eyes stared back at her.

"I do." He replied. "And we're gonna get them back Elena. I promise."

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><p>Grace opened her eyes slowly as she took in her surroundings. It looked like a motel room of some kind. She remembered everything from last night and was still worried about Adam. She tried to contact him through her mind but he came up blank, like there was nothing to draw from. She prayed that he was alright. Her body registered an uncomfortable bed beneath her and her eyes flicked to the snoring figure in the chair. It was Ben. Grace carefully shifted herself off the bed and made her way to the door when Ben suddenly threw her up against the wall.<p>

"I wouldn't." He growled at her and his fangs made him look all the more threatening. "Now, I want you to sit down and don't try to escape again." Ben compelled and Grace felt a temporary pull from his compulsion but not fully. She guessed that the vervain was on its way out of her system. When Grace didn't move, Ben compelled her again and growled in frustration when it didn't work for the second time. The front door opened, revealing the girl that bit Adam last night and she overlooked the two that were up against the wall.

"Is there a problem here?" She asked.

"I told her to sit down, Anna. I did that eye thing you taught me." Ben explained

"And forgot the lesson about vervain. She's friends with vampires, duh." She said and pushed Grace back into the room.

"You…I saw you the night of that dance." Grace said, recognizing the vampire in her vision from the fifties dance.

"How could you have seen me? I was watching you. I saw you, but you couldn't possibly have seen me." Anna said, walking closer to Grace and that caused her to keep stepping backwards. Grace didn't answer the vampire and Anna continued to eye her curiously. "I know you're not a witch." Anna mused.

"What do you want?" Grace asked.

"To open the tomb." Anna answered simply.

"But I don't…"

"I know you can't, but your witchy friend can." The vampire smirked and Grace turned to see Ben dragging Bonnie out of the bathroom. Grace ran over to the witch, checking her over to see if she was hurt and let out a breath of relief to see that she wasn't.

"You're wasting your time. I'm not gonna help you." Bonnie growled and Ben chuckled before gripping Grace roughly. The witch's hard demeanor faded quickly to one of fear.

"See, that's why she's here, to motivate you." Ben smirked, showing his threatening fangs.

"Ben!" Anna snapped and the vampire grumbled, angry that his friend disturbed his meal. Ben shoved Grace towards Anna and the girl stepped back from her. "I'd like to have a word, Grace." She said and Grace cautiously followed her to one side of the room. Ben took Bonnie into another room, letting the girls have their privacy.

"Bonnie won't open the tomb." Grace said.

"Oh, I think she will." Anna smirked.

"Do you really want Katherine out that bad?"

"Trust me; no one I know wants to see that girl ever again." The vampire scoffed. "Except for Damon, the love struck idiot. Although, you're going a great job at keeping him occupied." She chuckled.

"Damon doesn't care about anyone but himself. I'm just collateral damage." The girl huffed angrily.

"It hurts doesn't it?" The vampire said and Grace shrugged it off.

"Then who is in the tomb?" She asked.

"My mother's in there. Katherine couldn't help herself, she just had to toy around with both Salvatore brothers. When she got caught, so did my mother. I watched Jonathan Gilbert take her away." Anna recounted and Grace felt sorry for being short with the vampire. If her mother was in a tomb then she'd be doing anything in her power to get her back.

"I'm sorry." Grace apologized softly.

Anna looked back at the young girl before her. "You really mean that, don't you? Yeah, I think we'll skip the 'dead mom' bonding so you can start serving a purpose."

"And that would be?"

"Leverage." Anna replied simply and pulled out Grace's phone. The girl reached for it but the vampire smirked, pulling it just out of her reach. "Ah, ah! Now, who is calling you?" She sang as the phone started to ring. "Ooh it's your delicious friend from last night." She smirked, answering the call. "Hello there."

"_Where is Grace?"_ Adam growled.

"My, you sound very alive for someone who should have bled out hours ago. Relax," Anna sighed. "She's right here and she's fine for now unless you and the Salvatore's don't put your head together on getting me the grimoire."

"_I can get it."_ He said tensely.

"Oh good, that means Damon has it. So, one of you had better meet me in the very public town square in thirty minutes so we can safely discuss how fun it's gonna be to work together." She smirked and hung up, placing the phone back on her person and Grace sighed, wishing that Anna would have forgotten about the phone.

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><p>"Will you stop that?" Ben snapped and Grace took her fingers from her mouth. She was chewing her nails down to stubs and she guessed that Ben's sensitive hearing picked it up. Her hands dropped into her lap and she decided on wringing her hands, hopefully that wouldn't make as much noise. She had to do something to get take her mind off of this. Bonnie had been deathly quiet as her eyes darted around the room. Grace glared at Ben as he ground his teeth together at the two. "Anna, I'm hungry." He whined and the two girls stiffened.<p>

"So, go get a blood bag." The female vampire replied.

"Why can't I feed from one of them?" Ben asked as he looked between Grace and Bonnie.

"We need them as leverage. Go get a bag." Anna growled and the other vampire huffed in frustration of not having a fresh meal. He got up and moved to the fridge to pull a bag out. Grace suddenly felt a presence in the room with her. She looked around and did a double take when she saw Adam standing in the corner. Grace gave a thankful sigh of relief that he was alright and he smiled. Her eyes darted to Bonnie who seemed to be staring at the same corner she was but didn't see Adam. Ben, Anna and Bonnie seemed oblivious to the fact that Adam was in the room as well. Adam moved around the room, his eyes looking for any kind of clue as to where they were.

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><p>"I just don't see how this could work." Damon smart mouthed as he paced the room. Elena and Stefan gave Damon a glare while Adam was too focused on trying to find Grace and Bonnie. "We'd all be better off asking Grandma Witch."<p>

"Shut up, Damon." Elena grumbled.

"Bonnie's grandmother refused to come here because she didn't want to be on a vampire's turf. She's doing her own work." Stefan explained.

"Witches…" Damon tisked. "Judgy little things."

"I think I've got her." Adam finally spoke up; however his eyes were still closed in intense concentration.

"Where is she?" Elena asked.

"I can't tell…it looks like a motel room of some kind." Adam said and opened his eyes. "Bonnie and Grace are alright." He said and Elena and Stefan breathed a sigh of relief.

"How can you do that?" The teen asked in awe.

"It's kinda weird. It's like I'm able to suspend myself in time so others can't see me, but I can see them" Adam explained. "Cool trick, right?" Elena smiled, she was happy that Adam was on their side. It was another person stacked up against Damon.

"I don't know why you guys are so thrilled." Damon cut in. "He doesn't know where they are so you're all back to square one."

"Unless you'd like to be the one tracking them." The Guardian growled. "Then I suggest you shut it." Damon suddenly blurred in front of him. Adam remained unmoving and so did Damon. "You wanna take another shot?" The Guardian raised a challenging eyebrow at him and Damon chuckled at his boldness.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Stefan asked, trying to break up the pair and Damon finally stood down.

"Would you be able to recognize these vampires if you saw them?" Adam started and Stefan nodded. "Come here and sit down." He instructed and the vampire followed. Adam placed his hands on either side of Stefan's head and the vampire suddenly felt a rush of wind. He opened his eyes and he was in a different room altogether. He was in the motel room that Adam described. He saw Bonnie and Grace and some other guy, he guessed he was a vampire, and then he analyzed the female at the window. Stefan carefully moved closer to her until he was finally able to see who she was.

"I know her." Stefan mumbled as he came out of the trance that Adam had put him under. His eyes fluttered open and he was back at the boarding house. "It's Anna." He said.

"You know her, Stefan?" Elena asked.

"She was in 1864 with Damon and me." The vampire replied.

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><p>Grace watched Adam carefully and he nodded his head to the bathroom. She followed his gaze and nodded.<p>

"Uhm, the human needs to go to the bathroom." She said.

"Fine, go." Ben grumbled. He was a little perturbed that Anna left to meet with Damon while he was playing babysitter. Grace got up and walked as causally to the bathroom as possible before shutting the door behind her. Adam placed a finger on his lips, signaling her to try and be quiet.

"Are you alright?" He mouthed and Grace nodded.

"I should be asking you that!" She whispered back to him. "She bit you."

"I know, but I healed myself. Where are you? Do you have any idea where you are?" Adam asked.

"No, they need Bonnie to open the tomb." She replied.

"Don't worry, Stefan is out looking for you guys. Just sit tight."

"I'll try." Grace said and three sharp knocks at the door made her jump.

"YO! Hurry up in there!" Ben's gruff voice was muffled through the door.

"I'm coming!" Grace snapped and turned to see that Adam was gone. She sighed, opening the door before stepping out of the bathroom.

"Took you long enough." The vampire mumbled.

"Shut it!" She growled and she was suddenly shoved into the night stand roughly and the lamp shattered into her back. She whimpered and held her shoulder as the pain coursed through it. Bonnie moved to check on her but Ben hissed menacingly, causing the witch to cower and stay in her spot. Grace felt warm blood seep through her shirt and prayed that Ben wouldn't pick it up. The vampire's nostrils flared and his attention was suddenly drawn to the whimpering girl on the floor. He stalked closer to her and little tears ran down her cheeks. She'd been sniffed out - literally. The vampire pulled down the back of her shirt and took a deep whiff of her blood that was seeping through her back.

"Ooh, I smell lunch." He breathed as his eyes blackened and his fangs dropped from behind his lower lip. Grace was shaking in fear. She needed to get them out of there and fast. Ben licked the open wound, her blood made a shiver go down his spine. Adam told her that fire was a vampire's weakness so she thought of creating a fire that would Ben but keep her and Bonnie safe. Heat rose through her fingertips and she scratched her nails against the hotel room floor. Little embers made their way across the carpet and they seemed to go unnoticed by Ben. Bonnie saw them and shied away from the fire. Grace suddenly screamed out feeling Ben's fangs pierce her skin. Bigger, bigger she thought and the embers grew, the tips of the flames tickling the edge of the bed. Bonnie let her fingers walk through the glowing embers and smiled as the heat warmed her as opposed to burning her. Grace pushed a little harder and the flames ignited. The entire room was engulfed in flames. She heard Ben's skin sizzling and his screams as his fangs unlatched from her neck. He ran from the room, trying to find a place to hide while Grace huddled herself in the corner. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest and just watched the fire grow. The front door flew open to reveal Stefan. His hands accidentally touched the flames and he flinched, however he didn't feel pain. He ushered Bonnie from the room before walking inside to Grace who was still in the corner.

"Grace." He called and she looked up. His hand was held out to her and his eyes were pleading for her to come with him. "He won't hurt you anymore." He promised and Grace placed her hand in his and the fire went out. Stefan looked around the room and it was as if the room wasn't engulfed in flames. The furniture was untouched and the carpet wasn't even charred. It was like an optical illusion.

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><p><strong>It's not my best but I am trying to get part two out soon!<strong>

**Please review and check out my tumblr for previews and updates :)**


	14. Fool Me Once part 2

**Thanks for being so patient with me! You guys seriously rule! I have been beyond busy with school and work and I can't thank you guys enough for still supporting me. I love you all so so much! Thanks for all of the amazing love and support for this story and my other ones. I will try to get the next couple of parts out to you within this week, it's not a promise, but I will try my hardest.**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD, only Grace, Adam, Diane and my story.**

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><p>Grace took a deep breath, readying herself before opening the front door of the boarding house. She wasn't even out of danger for a couple hours and she now had to tell Damon that Bonnie would help open the tomb. The last time she saw Damon, he force fed her blood and threatened to turn her so needless to say, she didn't feel too comfortable being in the same room with him. Grace made her way to the library where she saw Damon putting on his leather jacket and the grimoire was close by. The vampire immediately felt her presence and turned over his shoulder, he looked disapprovingly at her and Grace squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.<p>

"I'm gonna have to change the locks." He muttered and Grace's eyes found the carpet on the floor much more appealing than looking at Damon. "You stage a jail break?"

"Yeah, Adam and Stefan." She replied.

"Ah, ever the white knights." He smirked.

"I've convinced Bonnie to help you." She said.

"I doubt that."

"I'm not going to say that I'm sorry we got the grimoire without you last night because I'm not really." Grace growled.

"Well at least you're honest." Damon quipped snidely.

"I was protecting the people I love, Damon." She defended. "And so were you, in your own twisted way and as hard as it is to figure, we're all on the same side and we're after the same thing."

"Not interested." He said, turning to side step Grace but she walked further into the room to meet him.

"Oh please!" She scoffed. "You are because you were willing to work with us yesterday."

"Fool me once, shame on you." Damon smirked.

"Okay, so why didn't you compel me in Atlanta?" She suddenly asked and the vampire placed the grimoire on a little table.

"Who's to say I didn't?" He countered.

"I know you didn't, but you could have." She replied. Her arms were crossed across her chest. "You and I, we have something. An understanding. And I know that my betrayal hurt you and you threatening to turn me hurt me, but I promise that I will help you get Katherine back." She pleaded but Damon didn't seem convinced at all.

"I wish I could believe you." He said and Grace sighed deeply. Her hands traveled up to her neck to unclasp a necklace that Adam had given her. Normally she didn't wear it but because the vervain was out of her system she thought it would be better to use the necklace for now. It was a circular silver pendant with an angel wing charm hanging on the chain. She held up the necklace, the charm swinging in front of Damon's eyes, and she placed it down on the same table as the grimoire.

"Ask me if I'm lying now." She growled. Damon's gaze fluttered between Grace and her necklace as he took a couple steps closer to her.

"I thought you said that you were on vervain?" He asked.

"I was, but the vervain passed out of my system so Adam gave me that." Grace replied and Damon hummed, picking up the necklace in his hands and examining it. He shook his head before undoing the clasp. Grace looked at him curiously and Damon made a motion for her to turn around. She did, hesitantly at first, and then swept the hair off her neck. Damon's arms came around her and she felt the cool metal of the chain on her skin as he clasped the necklace around her neck.

"I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun." He said into her ear. "I wanted it to be real." The vampire murmured and Grace slowly turned to meet his blue eyes. Damon cupped her cheek, his thumb playing over her chin, just under her bottom lip. "I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it." He pleaded and Grace nodded.

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><p>"Brother, witches, angel boy." Damon greeted each party as he and Grace walked over to the tomb. "Are we ready?" He asked.<p>

"I just want to get this over with." Elena said.

"Yes, we're ready." Bonnie said and Shelia nodded with her. The group all made their way down into the tomb where Shelia started to light the torches that Stefan had put up.

"Air, Earth, Fire." She murmured as she lit each candle.

"Water." Bonnie finished and she handed Grams a bottle of water. She took it and sprinkled it on the ground.

"That's it? Just water from the tap?" Elena raised an eyebrow.

"As opposed to what?" Shelia quipped.

"I just figured it would have to be blessed or mystical or something." She said.

"Did you really just call water 'mystical'?" Grace giggled and Elena playfully elbowed her. Damon pulled a blood bag out from the inside of his leather jacket and Grace eyed it. "What's that?" She asked warily.

"It's for Katherine." He answered simply with a smile. "Gotta have something to get her going. Unless you're offering to tap a vein." Damon smirked and Grace rolled her eyes. Adam growled and slipped a hand around Grace's waist and Damon just wiggled his eyebrows. "Admit it; you can't wait to get rid of me." He said to Stefan.

"I can't wait to get rid of you." Stefan said back to him and Damon just smirked.

"We're ready." Bonnie said and she and her Grams held hands as they started to chant in an unknown language.

"What are they saying?" Damon asked.

"It's Latin." Grace answered.

"How do you know?" The vampire smirked.

"I've taken some Latin in college. I don't know what they're saying but it sounds familiar." She said and the torches suddenly sparked up, the flames burned brightly. Suddenly the two women stopped chanting and the tomb door swung open. Grace was immediately hit with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach along with the smell of decaying flesh. She felt the energies of mummified vampires that lay just inside the tomb. They were weak, but they were able to smell the fresh blood and that made them eager to taste the sweet liquid.

"It worked!" Bonnie said excitedly.

"Of course it worked." Grams agreed.

"Don't you have some fires to build?" Damon asked his brother snidely.

"I'm gonna go get the gasoline, I'll be right back." Stefan said and he climbed the tomb steps. Damon's eyes shifted between Grace and Elena before chuckling to himself.

"You ready?" He said to Elena.

"What?" She eyed him curiously.

"I'm gonna go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" He gripped Elena's arm tightly, pulling her to him and Grace, Bonnie, Shelia and Adam tensed.

"Don't take her in! I'll bring the walls down!" Shelia threatened.

"You'll bring the walls down even if I don't." Damon replied.

"Damon, don't!" Grace sneered. "You said you trusted us!"

"I said I trusted you." He nodded his head towards her. "I'm not too sure about you." The vampire growled at Shelia.

"Typical vampire!" Shelia snapped.

"Enough, both of you!" Elena interrupted them. "Look, he needs leverage. He needs to know that you're not going to shut the door when he gets inside. I get it. I'll go." She said and the group watched Damon take her inside the dark tomb. Grace paced nervously back and forth as someone came down the stairs and she hoped that it was Stefan but she growled seeing that it was Anna.

"You're not going in there!" She hissed.

"You think you can stop me?" The vampire scoffed and Grace tried to pull her back but Anna quickly threw her up against the wall. Anna hissed, her fangs gleaming and ready to bite, but Adam yanked her back by her hair. The two stood eye to eye until Anna blurred inside the tomb.

"Why did you let her go in?" Grace asked Shelia.

"Because she isn't coming out. None of them are." She replied.

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><p>Stefan had learned the news of Damon's selfishness and couldn't help but want to kill his brother. All of them waited nervously until Elena's shrill scream pierced the air and Stefan bolted inside after her while Grace made a move to follow him but Adam gripped her arm. Bonnie side stepped the pair to run after Stefan but her Grams stopped her as well.<p>

"You can't go in there, Grace!" He said, pulling her back from the door.

"I have to! She's my friend, Adam!" She wrestled her arm from his grip. "Please, trust me on this," Grace pleaded, taking his hands in hers and letting them glow a warm orange color. Adam squeezed her hands and added his energy to the mix.

"You've been practicing." He smiled and she nodded.

"You never know when you'll run after your best friend into a tomb of vampires." Grace quipped and let her hands slip from Adam's. She turned on her heel to run into the cave and Adam just looked on after her. The inside of the tomb was dark and stuffy, with little whispers running over the cavern walls. Grace looked down and let out a gasp seeing a mummified vampire at her feet. The corpse groaned and tried to move its limbs but the movements were lethargic and heavy. She jumped back from the vampire, stumbling on her feet before shifting to sprint through the dark tunnels.

"Where is she?" Grace heard Damon's gruff growling echo off the walls and she tried to follow the sound. She then heard Damon yelling again before a splattering sound reached her ears. "She's not here!" Grace was able to make out some shadows from the lit torches on the walls and it led her to a little alcove in the caves where Damon and Stefan were arguing. Elena was there as well; clutching her wrist that was bleeding and Grace ripped a piece of the bottom of her shirt off and wrapped it around the wound.

"She's not worth spending all of eternity down here! She's not worth it!" Stefan protested.

"No!" Damon shoved his brother roughly.

"Damon!" Grace called and the blue eyed vampire glared at her, his gaze was hard and filled with anger. "Please…" She begged and Damon eyed her before taking one last look in the empty room that would have housed Katherine before growling loudly and following Grace back through the system of tunnels. Stefan pulled Elena along while Grace and Damon were holding up the rear. They all saw the light at the end of tunnel when they heard Bonnie calling for them to hurry because she and Grams didn't have enough power to keep the tomb open. Grace saw Adam and pushed her legs to run faster but she suddenly tripped over something and fell to the ground. She heard a crack in her chest and so did the other vampires in the tomb, including Damon and Stefan.

"Grace!" Elena called, seeing her friend hurt and Grace groaned, getting up on her knees, bracing herself on one hand while the other hand held her aching ribs. Grace struggled to stand and then she felt someone gently pull her up.

"Damon, get out of here." Grace pushed him for the door, but Damon's hands held her upper arms tightly.

"And hear your boyfriend curse me for the rest of eternity? No thanks." Damon growled and hoisted her up to stand. Stefan and Elena took this as an opportunity to run for the door, hearing Bonnie's and Adam's pleas grow more frantic. Damon pulled Grace for the entrance and she shuddered in pain, each step she took sent a twinge to her bruised or broken ribs. Stefan and Elena got through and turned to see Damon and Grace struggling to move. Grace pushed harder, the pain becoming stronger but she pushed it to the back of her mind since she had to get out of this tomb before she and Damon were locked in there forever. The pair was finally closing in on the exit and Grace reached for Adam but her hopes were crushed when the door on the tomb scratched against the dirt ground as it was sealed shut.

"No!" Grace screamed, her little hands pounding on the stone door and Damon was doing the same. "Help us! Open the door!" She screeched. It was so dark, they only had a single flashlight to illuminate things and it was currently in Grace's shaking hands.

"Grace! Grace!" Adam's voice reached her ears and she banged on the door of the tomb even harder.

"Adam! We're stuck in here! We can't open the door!" She cried hopelessly.

"Okay, listen to me. Just calm down. I'm gonna get you out." He consoled her and placed both hands on the door. "Grace, I need you to place your hands on the door." He instructed and with shaking hands, Grace handed the flashlight to Damon and rested her hands on the tomb door. Sensing her energy, Adam praised her. "Good, now I need you to concentrate on moving the door. I'll help you." He said and Grace closed her eyes. She focused on the door but the pain in her ribs was now overwhelming. The vampire heard screams and groans coming from further inside the dark tomb and he knew that they smelled Grace's fear.

"What is that?" She asked as she turned over her shoulder to stare into the darkness.

"The tomb vampires. They can smell you." Damon replied and Grace shivered. "What does it matter?" The vampire spat. "You'll get out but I'll still be stuck in here because of the spell."

"I won't leave without you." Grace said firmly. "We're getting out of this together." She added, looking Damon straight in the eye. He held her stare and Grace closed her eyes once more. He held the light on the door while Grace concentrated and he heard the screams get louder. They were getting closer. Grace's mind kept hitting a wall, literally, as she tried to link with Adam's energy but she came up empty handed. "C'mon, c'mon." She huffed, her hands pushing harder into the door.

"Keep trying, Grace!" Adam begged.

"I can't do this." Grace sobbed, covering her ears as the screams continued. She'd always been scared of the dark ever since she was little. She couldn't go into a haunted house just because of the mere fact that it would be dark. Her ribs throbbed and so did her head from the adrenaline rush.

"Yes, you can! I need you to focus, Grace! I know you're scared right now but we'll get you out." Adam pleaded and he tried to use his own energy but it wasn't enough. He needed another Guardian's help to open the door.

Grace's nails bit into her scalp as she pressed harder against her ears. She was trying to do something, anything to block out the noise. Grace felt someone take her hands away from her ears and she looked up to see Damon holding her wrists.

"I'll take care of the vampires if they come. You work on the door." He said and Grace was speechless that he was trying to help her. "We're getting out of this together, right?" He nodded and Grace gave him a determined look before placing her hands back on the door. Adam felt Grace's energy stir up once more and he focused. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep breath and she suddenly felt a rush of power run through her body. Adam's hands glowed brightly and Grace was able to see the light through her closed lashes.

Bonnie and Shelia were trying to recover their energy outside the tomb while Stefan held a hysterical Elena in his strong arms. The torches outside were suddenly aflame and the group stood motionless. Shelia eyed the flames growing along with Adam's and Grace's energies.

"She's pulling on our energy to get them both out." Shelia murmured. Adam felt the tomb door shifting under his hands and he pushed harder.

"Keep going, Grace. Just a little more." He said.

Grace nodded, hearing him and feeling the strength she was now possessing. She was still in her deep trance and Damon watched in awe as a golden light illuminated over the door, but a scream over his shoulder made him anxious.

"Grace, I know you're working but they're coming." He said and suddenly the door flung open, and they both fell over the threshold. Once they both crossed over, the door swung shut with a strong slam. Grace stumbled into Adam's arms and he hugged her tightly. She didn't care that her rib were in pain anymore since she was happy to be out of that tomb.

"You did it!" Adam chanted in her ear and Grace nodded into his chest. Damon watched the two of them embrace and he felt the urge to vomit at the sickly sweet scene before him. Adam heard a groan from Grace and he pulled back and she nearly collapsed in his hold. "What happened to you?" He asked worriedly.

"My…my ribs." She gasped out, holding her chest.

"We have to get you out of here." Adam said while winding an arm around her waist and propped her arm over his shoulder. The entire group made their way out of the tomb, finding the air around them crisp and cool. They all started to leave but one person caught her eye. Damon was standing alone, looking at nothing in particular as he stared off into the night. He just looked so heartbroken. The person he had been fighting for, the person he loved wasn't in that tomb. Even though Katherine was portrayed as a selfish bitch, Grace still felt her heart break for Damon. She untangled herself from Adam and slowly made her way over to the broken vampire, all the while still clutching her ribs. He saw her but didn't make any movements towards her. She was standing in front of him now; she could practically see that he was shaking with anger and sadness. Grace laced her arms around his shoulders, embracing him tightly even though her ribs twitched in pain.

"I'm so sorry, Damon." She whispered against his chest, but he remained stone still in her grip. He didn't hug her back, he was tense and so wound up that he thought he might snap. She heard him whimper in her ear and she shushed him quietly as she rubbed her hand comfortingly over his back. Grace wished she could take his pain away and place it on herself.

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><p>Grace was lying in bed that night, trying to fight the unbearable pain in her shoulder blades. Adam had healed her ribs and gone home, except now the pain was coming through her back. She was sleeping on her stomach, not even the comfy mattress beneath her could alleviate the pain. Her bottom lip was trapped tightly between her teeth in an effort to hold in her screams. The pain in her shoulder blades had become so bad that she considered crawling to the car and driving herself to the hospital. Grace tossed around the idea of calling Adam to help heal her but it was late at night and it would be ridiculous to call him now. Although, Grace was positive that he'd come over. It was amazing how close they'd become over the time they spent together training. And then there was that kiss. She felt safe with him and she liked that comforting feeling whenever he was around her. She made the decision to try and get out of bed and refill her glass of water on her night table, thinking that if she was to move the pain would be less concentrated. She could also take some aspirin and she'd hopefully be able to get some sleep.<p>

It took her twenty minutes alone to get out of bed and she was sure to grab onto any piece of furniture, including the banister, to steady herself. Finally reaching the ground floor, Grace shuffled quietly across the kitchen floor and made her way to the cabinet to grab a glass. She cautiously lifted her arm and was able to grip the glass, but a sudden sharp pain shot through her and the glass shattered to the floor. Grace winced when the glass broke on the floor and she held her breath, trying to hear if the noise had woken up her mother but she was met with a deafening silence. Grace then felt a substance dripping down her back so she lifted her hand to touch her shoulder and she felt a warm liquid engulf her hand. Not to mention she also felt something hard sticking out of her skin.

No.

Sure enough her own blood was dripping off her fingers. The protruding bone was moving on its own as it tried to push out of her skin. Oh, no, it was happening. Right now! It felt beyond odd that she had an extra appendage sticking out of her back and not to mention, it hurt! The bone wiggled, pushing out her back and Grace squirmed, among other things. Panic and pain ran through her and she did the first thing that came to mind.

"MOM!" She screamed. Her mother ran upstairs seeing her daughter's fingers covered in blood. Her eyes fell to the shattered glass on the floor as well.

"What happened?" She gasped.

"Mom, my back is bleeding!" She stuttered out quickly through her tears.

"Oh my god…it's happening." Diane hushed.

"What? Now?" Grace sobbed before another wave of pain crashed down on her.

"Yes, now!" Her mom said and gripped her phone, dialing Adam's number. Grace's legs collapsed underneath her and Diane crouched next to her, trying to ease her pain.

"Mommy…mommy, please help me!" She whimpered as a tearing sound ripped through the house accompanied by a scream passed through her lips. Her skin tore open over her other shoulder blade and the bone started to emerge as well.

"I know, sweetheart." Diane cooed. She was trying the best she could to help her daughter but she had never seen a transformation before. She didn't even go through it herself so what kind of help could she be for her suffering daughter.

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><p>"Please…make it stop…" Grace whimpered as Adam gently stroked her hair. She was lying on her back on the couch in the living room with several bloody towels around them. Her bare breasts pushed into the couch since her shirt was in shreds on the floor. The worst of it was over, her wings had broken through the muscle and skin of her back and now they were just waiting for the bone to sprout feathers. Adam assured Diane that he'd take care of her little girl and that's what he did. He didn't leave her side for a moment.<p>

"I know it hurts, Grace, but it's almost over." He consoled her. She was now sporting two holes where her shoulder blades were and he could see the bones of her wings trying to emerge. Grace bit her lip and squeezed his hand as she felt the bones coming out of the skin a little further. "It's okay. Easy, Grace. I'm right here." He shushed her and she nodded silently. Adam saw little white feathers start to materialize over the bone and he smiled.

"How much longer?" She whispered.

"Almost, your feathers are coming in." Adam said.

"Really?" Grace asked excitedly. "How do they look?"

"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful." He smiled brightly as the soft white feathers were sprouting, nearly covering the whole bone. The new Guardian even felt the tips of them tickling her bare skin. She was able to see a mass of white when she looked over her shoulder.

"The pain is gone." She murmured.

"I'm glad." Adam combed his fingers through her curls and he felt her relax even further. "I know you're tired, so sleep."

"But, what about…?"

"It's done. Your transformation is over." He said as he watched her wings press against her back. Grace gasped, feeling it too. It was like they had a mind of their own. Adam watched the mesh of feathers and bone seep back underneath the skin and Grace's back no longer had those grotesque holes. He took a warm washcloth and cleaned the dried blood on her skin, making sure it was clean. Adam then gripped a blanket, wrapping it around her back and propping her gently to sit up. Grace pulled the fleece around her cold skin, and snuggled in tightly. Adam picked her up in his arms and brought her upstairs to her room. Her bed was still unmade so he set her onto the comfy mattress. He was just about ready to leave but Grace gripped the sleeve of his shirt.

"Can you stay with me, please?" She whispered quietly and wanted to curse herself for doing this but she didn't want to be alone right now. Adam looked back at her bloodshot red eyes and her tear stained cheeks and eased himself into her bed with her. He kicked off his shoes and pulled the blankets over the two of them. Grace sighed, her body snuggled tightly against his and she immediately felt warmed by his body. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He kissed her forehead and Grace snuggled her face in the crook of his neck. She sighed deeply, her body relaxing into his. Adam stroked her hair calmly and knew that Grace's new life was just beginning. He didn't doubt that she was ready; he knew she could handle it and he was more than happy to stand by her side and help her.

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><p><strong>So it seems like Adam and Grace are definitely getting closer. What will Grace's friends have to say about her new transformation and what new responsibilities are ahead for our new Guardian?<strong>

**Please review and let me know what you would like to see in future chapters!**


	15. A Few Good Men part 1

**Hey all! This is a little short snippet of this episode, but I wanted to get it out to you since the rest of the episode is pretty much planned out in my head. Thank you, thank you for the amazing support and love.**

**Beta: currently not beta'd so please excuse any mistakes**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries, only Grace, Adam and my story.**

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><p>It was the blaring of a cell phone that broke the newborn Guardian from her sleep. She groaned low, pulling her pillow over her head in hopes of shutting the ringing in her ears. Sooner or later, the ringing stopped and she felt an arm circle around her waist. She temporarily froze until the events of last night came rushing back to her. Quietly and quickly, she wiggled herself out of Adam's grip and stood in front of the mirror. She couldn't believe that she fully transformed last night. Grace pulled a zip up sweatshirt over her still naked torso, but kept her shoulders bare. She turned her back to her mirror and ran a hand over her shoulder. The gruesome holes that adorned her skin were now all healed. Her skin was smooth and soft, as if nothing had happened. Grace wanted to see her wings, she needed to see them. She tried to focus on getting them to come out, but it just wasn't working.<p>

"It doesn't work that way." Adam's voice nearly scared the shit out of her as she whipped around, covering herself from him. He smiled at her awkwardness as she tried to pull the jacket closer around her. "You okay?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I just wanted to see them."

"You'll get a chance to see them soon." He replied.

"So, what happens now?" She asked curiously. "Does my training still continue?"

"Of course and now it will only get harder." Adam smirked and Grace scoffed.

"Whoopie…" She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on! I'm not that bad of a teacher am I?" He raised a playful eyebrow and she giggled.

"No, I just didn't think it would be that difficult." She replied. "Thank you, for last night. You didn't leave me for a second." She said with a grateful smile and Adam returned it.

"I know what it was like to go through that on my own. I didn't want you to feel the same pain." He said.

"Well, thanks. How's my mom dealing with this?"

"She's doing better than I thought. All of the blood really freaked her out last night." He recalled that Diane got really queasy just looking at her daughter's blood on her hands. Grace nodded; she understood that her mom had never been okay with blood. Speaking of blood, she kept seeing Damon's broken blue eyes in her dreams. They were haunting her and she felt like she needed to check on him.

"You're going to hate me for this…but I need to check up on Damon." She said meekly and he sighed.

"You really should be worrying about Bonnie." Adam said and Grace looked back at him.

"Why? Bonnie was fine last night."

"Grams died." Grace felt all of the air get sucked out of her lungs. It felt like someone had punched her in the stomach.

"Oh my god…" She whispered.

"After the ritual. She died in her sleep." The newborn Guardian wanted to scream and cry at the top of her lungs, Bonnie didn't deserve this.

"I…I have to call her." Grace stammered as she started to get herself dressed when her phone rang loudly once again. "Hello?"

"_Hey! What happened to you last night? I've been calling you nonstop." _Elena said worriedly.

"I know, I'm sorry. Things were a little crazy last night. I'll have to tell you later." Grace replied. "How…how is Bonnie?"

"_I haven't heard from her. I tried calling her, but she's not answering."_ She mumbled.

"God, I just feel terrible about it." The Guardian ran a hand through her brown curls. "Where are you now?"

"_I'm at the boarding house. I found out some things about my birth mom."_ Elena said hopefully.

"Really? Well, I'll meet up with you there and we'll go to the Grill for lunch." Grace was more than happy to get off the topic of Grams dying.

"_Yeah, because Stefan and I are going to the Bachelor Fundraiser. I'll see you later! Bye."_ Both girls hung up and Grace turned back to Adam, who was staring at her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Nothing. You just look different." He said with a little smile.

"If you mean I'm sleep deprived and a newly turned Guardian, then I don't know if I should take that as a compliment." She chuckled. "Look, uhm, maybe after you can meet me and Elena at the Grill?"

"Uh, yeah sure." Adam replied simply, but his eyes were still glued to her.

"Alright," Grace threw her hands up in frustration. "What are you staring at?"

"Just look in the mirror." He nodded to the full length mirror and Grace turned, her eyes widening at the sight. He was right. She did look different. Her skin was clearer; her facial features were more defined. Grace let the pads of her fingertips skim over her cheeks and couldn't believe how soft they felt. Her eyes were bright and lively, with no dark circles underneath them. It was incredible to see this kind of change. Grace still looked like herself, but just…different.

"How…?" She hushed, still looking over her new appearance.

"It happens to every Guardian. We all just kinda change." Adam explained.

"Wow. If you would have told me I'd look this good after a night of almost bleeding out, then I probably would have done this sooner." Grace quipped as she turned herself back to face him. "But, really though, thank you for everything you did last night. I don't think I would have made it through the night." She said sincerely and Adam couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips.

"Hey, I told you that I'd never leave you alone, right?" Grace nodded and she pranced over to him, kissing him on the cheek.

"I'll see you later?" She inquired.

"Sure." Adam winked at her and watched her sashay out her bedroom, down the stairs and to her car. He touched the place where her lips touched his cheek and he felt that the skin still tingled with little sparks.

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><p>Grace pulled up to the boarding house, killing the engine and walking up the pathway. Not only did she look different, she felt different. It was very odd, she felt like she drank a whole can of Monster. She was refreshed, energized and ready for anything. She knocked daintily on the front door but when no one answered, she turned the knob and pushed open the heavy wooden door.<p>

"Hello? Elena? Stefan?" She called out into the house and she heard some shuffling coming from a room further upstairs.

"Up here!" Elena replied and Grace hopped up the stairs till she came to a bedroom, whether it was Stefan's or Damon's she didn't know.

"Elena? Stefan?"

"Better." A voice purred and Damon sauntered into the room with no shirt on and a pair of dark jeans slung low on his hips. Grace had to admit, his body was absolute perfection in every way. "Me."

"You look uhm…" Grace trailed off, not exactly knowing what to say to him after what happened at the tomb last night.

"Dashing? Gorgeous? Irresistible?" Damon leaned in on every word, the alcohol on his breath nearly making Grace intoxicated.

"Wrecked." Grace stated, backing away. "You looked wrecked." She repeated and Damon just shrugged.

"No reason why. Do you know that I am one of Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelors?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Huh," She hummed as Damon turned and he grabbed a shirt from the edge of the bed. Her eyes trailed over the muscles of his strong shoulders that tapered down to his lean lower back and then dipped down to underneath the waistband of his jeans. Grace would have been able to stare at him all day except for the overwhelming depressing energy that emanating from the vampire. She felt these feelings before she was a Guardian, but now it was the equivalent of putting a neon sign above Damon that read 'broken'. "How are you doing?" She asked.

"Never better." Damon grumbled, throwing the button down shirt over his shoulders but still leaving the buttons open. What can I do for you? I'm a barrel of favors today. It's my newfound purpose – how can I help people?" Grace knew that Damon was dodging her and she didn't blame him. If someone she loved wasn't in the tomb they were supposed to be in, she'd be pretty upset too.

"I'm just meeting Elena and Stefan. We're going to the fundraiser together." She said simply as she watched Damon try to button his shirt, unfortunately he looked too drunk to do it. His fingers couldn't grip the buttons and if they did, it wasn't long before the button slipped.

"Help a guy out, will you?" He slurred. "Can't get this." Grace rolled her eyes, taking the buttons and sliding them through the appropriate holes with complete ease. Damon watched her fingers move gracefully over the material and smirked as her fingertips brushed up against his skin. "Just can't keep your hands off me, Grace?"

Grace scoffed, "In your dreams, Damon." She buttoned up the shirt and looked up at Damon to see his blue eyes roaming over her. "What is it?"

"You look very chipper this morning." He observed. "What's your secret? Coffee?"

"No, I…I transformed last night. I'm a Guardian." She smiled and Damon continued to stare at her. "I know I look a little different, but–"

"I mean, you were hot before, but now you're stunning." Damon smirked and took a step closer to her.

"Hitting the bottle a little too hard this morning, Damon?" She quipped, but jumped when she felt Damon's hands grazing her hips.

"Ooh, so jumpy." He moved one of his hands to twirl a curl with his index finger and used the other one to pull her body flush against his. Grace's heart was beating wildly and she placed her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. She was drawn to him, in every dark and twisted way, but the darkness in him did scare her.

"Stop it, Damon." Grace growled firmly.

"Hmm, have I ever told you that you're even sexier when you get all flustered?" Damon hummed as he sniffed at her neck. He moaned heatedly in her ear, did being a new Guardian enhance how she smelled? Or did it change the taste and smell of her blood? Grace let her fingertips press harder into Damon's chest and the skin slowly heated up before Damon jumped back, his skin being burned by her touch. "Ouch, damn fire." He grumbled and rubbed his healing skin.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to screw me against your bedroom wall." Grace crossed her arms over her chest.

"This isn't my bedroom, but why on Earth would you be thinking about it?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows at her. "If you want a private tour, I'd be more than willing to show you."

"And be another notch on your headboard? No thanks." She rolled her eyes and Elena and Stefan came through the doorway.

"Hey Grace." Elena greeted and hugged her cautiously, still remembering that she hurt her ribs the night before. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I–"

"Our little friend Grace has wings." Damon chimed in with a smug smile, like a child who was proud to blab a secret. Grace shot a glare at his direction and the vampire bounced on his tippy toes.

"What?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, I am a Guardian now." Grace smiled and Elena hugged her tightly.

"Oh my god, are you alight? I tried calling you last night, but you didn't answer. I was worried, but I was with Bonnie and–"

"Elena!" Grace stopped Elena's babbling and the brunette let go of her.

"Sorry, but really though, are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about Bonnie." The Guardian said and Elena frowned.

"I haven't heard from her. I'm worried about her too." She said. "But there's a little bit of good news." Elena smiled slightly and Grace looked between her and Stefan. "I found out who my birth mother is." Grace's and Stefan's eyes were wide as dinner saucers.

"Ugh, who cares!" Damon groaned from the other end of the room and Grace scowled at him. "She left you. She sucks."

"Do you mind, Damon?" The Guardian growled and Damon just shrugged. "That's great, Elena." She smiled and hugged her.

"Uhh, I need a bigger jacket." Damon grumbled as he admired his reflection in the mirror. He patted his slightly bloated stomach, "You know, an occasional sorority girl might help fill you out a little bit." The vampire let out a burp and the other three beings in the room rolled their eyes.

"Look, I'll meet you guys at the Grill, okay?" Grace said as she threw a glare at Damon.

"But I thought we were going to go together?" Elena frowned.

"That's okay, I'll drive myself." She said simply and Stefan and Elena could see that she was angry with Damon.

"Oh, uhm, alright. I'll see you later." The brunette said but Grace was already on her way downstairs. The three heard the door slam and Elena let out a sigh.

"Damn, that girl has such spunk." Damon smirked. "I'd love to just gobble her up, wings and all."

"You're disgusting." Elena muttered and Damon skulked out of the room.

"I'm sorry about him." Stefan frowned but Elena shook her head.

"Maybe this heartache will be good for him. It'll remind him that he has one, even if it doesn't beat." She deadpanned.

"Won't hold my breath." Stefan quipped.

"So, I went to see Trudie Peterson." Elena said and Stefan gave her a serious look. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't plan it."

"How was it?" He asked.

"She has vervain. She knows about vampires, Stefan. It can't be a coincidence."

"It isn't." Stefan said and pulled a photo out of his pocket. "This is Alaric's wife." He showed the photo to Elena and she took it in her hands.

"This is her. This is Isobel." Elena nodded. "He gave this to you?"

"Everything he knows about vampires, he learned from her. He believes that she was killed by one." Stefan explained.

"Oh my god." She hushed.

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><p>Grace grumbled to herself as she slammed the door of her car shut. She couldn't believe Damon; he was so insensitive and cold. She understood that he was hurting because of Katherine, but feeding off of sorority girls? That's just reckless and stupid! She leaned back against the driver's seat and let out a long sigh, she wasn't going to let Damon ruin her day. Grace sent a quick text to Adam, letting him know that she'd meet him at the Grill when her phone rang with a call from a blocked number. She rolled her eyes, bringing the phone to her ear.<p>

"Hello?"

"_Tell your friend to stop looking."_ A gruff voice commanded.

"What?" Grace asked. "I don't–"

"_I know she went to Trudie's house today, but she doesn't want to be found."_ He repeated.

"Who is this?" She demanded. "And who is Trudie?" Grace didn't get an answer when she heard the man on the other hand hang up the phone with a click. She wrinkled her nose, who the hell was Trudie? And who didn't want to be found? The Guardian shook her head, tossing her phone in her purse and placed her hands on the wheel.

_Elena was sitting at a table with a blonde woman with blue-green eyes and the two were looking through pictures in a year book. A photo flashed in front of Grace of two cheerleaders with their arms around each other. The Guardian squinted closely and she was able to see that the photograph had the cheerleaders names scrawled on the bottom._

_Trudie Peterson and Isobel Flemming_

The Guardian jolted in her seat, letting go of the steering wheel. She plugged the key in the ignition, starting the car and throwing it into gear as she left for the Grill. That was an awfully strange vision, why would Elena be looking for her aunt Isobel?

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><p><strong>A little twist there! I know it was short, but I wanted to get it out to you. Please, please, please review :D<strong>


	16. A Few Good Men part 2

**AN: For those of you who have not read my tumblr, my dad has been in the hospital for the past week with a bad infection in his foot. The surgeon has operated twice and hopefully the infection is cleared up. My dad will be home on Saturday, but he will pretty much be immobile for 2-3 months. That means writing for me will have to take a little bit of a back seat. I will try to write when I can, but please, please, please be patient with me.**

**Thanks so much for all of the well wishes for my dad and the amazing reviews :)**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88 :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD, only Grace and my story.**

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><p>Grace stepped into the Grill and spotted Adam talking with Caroline and Matt over by the stage. She was still bothered by the vision she had. It just didn't make sense. Grace hadn't seen her aunt Isobel in at least of couple of years, but why would Elena be looking for her? Maybe she was looking for Trudie? Who knew? It could be a possibility. Her visions could have gotten mixed up too, but that normally never happened. Hey, there's a first time for everything. She greeted Adam with a sweet smile and hugged Caroline and Matt.<p>

"Hey guys," She said.

"Hi, Grace" Caroline smiled. "Are you buying any raffles today?"

"Oh, no, I don't think so." Grace shook her head.

"I wish my mother was just as modest as you." Matt joked as they saw Kelly Donavan with a bunch of raffle tickets in her hands.

"She's just having some fun." The Guardian laughed. "Oh, guys this is Adam." She introduced them.

"Yeah, we were just talking about the fundraiser." Caroline babbled. "Ugh, why is Damon here?" The blonde suddenly frowned at the vampire, who was chatting it up with Mrs. Lockwood. Grace groaned, rolling her eyes, she really wished Damon would have just stayed home. "C'mon Matt," She dragged him away from the Guardians while Grace giggled at the bored look on Matt's face. Grace then spotted her mother through the crowd and told Adam that she'd be right back.

"Hi mom." She greeted with a smile.

"Hey, you. How are you?" She asked. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Grace said simply. "Different, but fine."

"Grace, I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you last night. I just didn't know what to do." Diana hung her head low.

"No, mom. It's alright. I didn't even know if I could do it myself." She consoled. "You did the best you could."

"But, I felt like I wasn't there for you. I just…I didn't know what to expect and it freaked me out." Diana shuddered as she remembered her daughter bleeding profusely in the kitchen.

"Mom, it's okay." Grace took her mother's hands in hers and squeezed them. "Please don't feel bad about it. Besides, you'll be learning with Adam and me as we go along. We have a lot to learn with this Guardian business."

"Oh, don't I know it." Diana smiled and hugged her daughter tightly. Grace embraced her back and she felt her love, her compassion, and her regret for hiding so many secrets. The newborn Guardian had already forgiven her for it, life was too short to be angry at her own mother. The two women pulled back, smiling brightly, and Diana pinched Grace's cheek affectionately. "Your father would be so proud of you. You know that, right?"

Grace nodded and her eyes got a little teary, "I know, mom. Thank you." Diana kissed her daughter on the cheek and happened to see Adam waiting for Grace over by the bar. She smiled and jerked her head to him and Grace followed her mother's gaze.

"Go and have fun. He likes you a lot, Grace." Diana said with a smile. The newborn Guardian blushed and maneuvered her way through the crowd over to the bar. She hopped up onto a stool next to Adam and gave him a one hundred watt smile.

"Hey, you. I'm sorry about leaving really early this morning." Grace shrugged.

"It's alright. How's Bonnie?" He asked.

"I haven't heard from her, neither has Elena." She frowned. "I get all these feelings at once when I think about her. At first I get that she's scared and alone, but then I feel like she's going to be okay."

"That's because she will be fine. Bonnie is a strong girl." Adam comforted her.

"I know she is, but I just can't believe that it happened." Grace shook her head.

"Hey, she'll be okay." He smiled and Grace felt herself smiling as well.

"You're right. I just have to give her some space." She breathed. "Oh, listen; I had the strangest vision today. I–" Her speech was cut off when Carol Lockwood tapped the top of the microphone in her hand. The Guardian frowned; she wanted to tell Adam about her vision with her aunt and Elena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the bachelor raffle." She greeted everyone and the audience clapped for her. "Without further ado, let's meet our bachelors!" Carol went down the line and Grace found herself quite bored with the whole thing. Adam ordered drinks for them and they sipped them quietly, trying to blend in with the other socialites of Mystic Falls. Grace drummed her fingers against her glass when she felt Adam brushing his resting hand against the one at her side. She smiled brightly at him and stretched her fingers out to meet his. Adam let their fingers intertwine and Grace felt a little tingle in her hand. The older Guardian felt it too and he squeezed the newborns hand.

"Moving on to number four," Carol's voice jarred the two of them from their staring contest. "Alaric Saltzman. Wow, that's a mouthful." She joked and Grace turned her attention back to the stage. "What do you do, Alaric?" She asked.

"I'm a teacher at Mystic Falls High." Alaric smiled and Grace couldn't help but recognize him.

"Oh, beauty and brains, ladies. This one's a keeper." Carol smiled. "What do you teach?"

"History." He replied and Grace looked questioningly at the history teacher. She knew him from somewhere, but where? He looked so familiar, it was on the tip of Grace's tongue but she just couldn't grasp it.

"I know him." Grace whispered. Adam heard her and looked back at her.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I don't know…I've seen him somewhere before." She said in a daze. "I just don't know where."

"And last but not least, Damon Salvatore. We don't have much on you." Carol brought Grace and Adam back to the smug vampire on the stage.

"Well, I'm tough to fit on a card." He smirked.

"Do you have any hobbies, like to travel?" Carol asked.

"Oh yeah. L.A., New York. Couple of years ago, I was in North Carolina, near Duke Campus, actually. I think – I think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you, Ric? Yeah, 'cause I – I know your wife did. I had a drink with her once. She was – she was a great girl. I ever tell you that? She was – delicious." Damon wiggled his eyebrows at the history teacher and Grace looked between the two men who were heatedly staring each other down.

_Grace was suddenly standing in a dark room. The shadows crept up the walls, giving everything a very eerie feel. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, but she was relieved that little beams of moonlight lit the room. She walked quietly through the room and her eyes picked up some things that were familiar to her. The wooden dresser against the wall that held a bunch of picture frames. Grace picked up one of a smiling woman with jet black hair and her arm was around a tall man with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Alaric. This was Alaric Saltzman and Isobel Flemming. That's where Grace knew him from. She had been over Isobel's house a couple summers ago and she had asked about the man in the photograph. At that time Isobel and Alaric were only going out, but at least that matched with Grace's memory. There was another photo of Isobel and Grace when she was younger. She remembered coming here and playing out in the yard while Aunt Isobel would tell her fairytales and stories about all sorts of creatures. Grace heard an ominous noise from further inside the house, in the living room, if her memory served correctly._

_The Guardian treaded carefully, hearing a low moan from just around the corner. If what Damon said was true, she didn't want to see it. He couldn't have…killed her! Could he? Her stomach twisted and her heart rate spiked at the anticipation of what was just a couple of steps away. The Guardian took a breath, readying herself before tip toeing along the hallway. She looked and saw Damon standing there, his leather jacket gave him away completely, with his mouth buried in her aunts' neck. Isobel was limp, but Grace could see her eyes moving beneath her lids. The Guardian covered her mouth in fear that she might let out a scream or completely vomit at the sight of Damon feeding off her aunt. The vampire lifted his fangs from Isobel's skin, blood dribbled down his chin and he licked the crimson liquid from his sharp fangs. He let out a sigh of pleasure; he was enjoying this way too much. Damon looked back at the gaping wound on Isobel's neck, his eyes glazing over at the blood pouring out of it before burying his fangs back into her skin with a sickening crunch._

"Grace? Grace!" Adam's voice shook the young Guardian from her vision and she suddenly remembered where she was. Some people in front of her had turned themselves to see what was wrong and Grace looked down at her feet to see that she had dropped her glass and it had shattered. Grace couldn't care about the glass as she looked up on the stage at Damon who was smirking at her. He killed her. He killed her aunt Isobel. Grace's eyes welled up with tears and she turned on her heel, bustling out of the Grill. Tears streaked her cheeks as she threw open the back door and was met with a very upset Elena.

"Grace, what's wrong?" The brunette asked tearfully.

"Damon…he…he killed my aunt." Grace whimpered and Elena stared back at her.

"What? How…do you know?"

"I had a vision. I saw him! He killed her! He killed my aunt Isobel!" She screamed and Elena's eyes went wide.

"Your aunt…your aunt Isobel?" She asked and the Guardian nodded. "I think Damon killed my mother." Elena was slowly putting the pieces together and Grace scoffed, wiping her tears with the back of her sleeve.

"Elena, your parents died in a car accident." Grace growled.

"No, I mean, I think he killed my birth mother." She clarified and Grace looked warily at her. Elena dug out a photo from her jacket pocket and showed it to Grace. The Guardian's jaw nearly dropped to the floor seeing that the woman in the photo looked like her aunt. Grace took the picture in her hands and felt as if she was in a dream.

"Elena…" Grace trailed off as she fished her phone from the pocket of her jeans. She scrolled through her albums and selected a photo of her and Isobel. She showed it to Elena and the teen felt a lump in her throat. "I think we're related." Grace finished as the two girls looked at the photographs next to each other. The two women were exactly the same.

"Oh my god…she's your aunt and she's my mother." Elena sniffled just as Stefan and Adam came outside, looking for their respective girls.

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"He killed her? Damon was the vampire that killed her?" Elena growled.

"I don't know what happened. Alaric said they never found the body." Stefan said sadly and Elena let out a little sob.

"Grace, what's wrong?" Adam's forehead was creased with worry.

"Damon…he killed my aunt and Elena's birth mother!" Grace shrieked.

"What?" Stefan and Adam asked.

"I had a vision. I saw him do it!" The Guardian sneered. "Look, here is my aunt and this is Elena's birth mother." She showed both photos to Stefan and Adam. "They are the same person and Damon killed her!"

"My god, they're the same person." Stefan gaped and so did Adam.

"You're sure that it was Damon in your vision?" Adam asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Grace nodded as the group looked between the two photographs. "He killed her." She sobbed and Elena took her in her arms, hugging her tightly.

"Shh, it's okay." Elena patted Grace's back. "Stefan, what are we going to do about Damon? He can't get away with this!"

"He doesn't know about Isobel's connection to either of you. I thought about confronting him, but he's already so on edge." Stefan replied and Grace wrestled out of Elena's embrace.

"Why are you protecting him?" She growled. "What he did was not right and you can't just let him walk away from this!"

"Because you're not the only one hoping he might change." Stefan answered and Grace was silenced. She did want Damon to change, but it now seemed so impossible. Adam put an arm around Grace, ushering her inside. The two entered the Grill and Grace walked right into a hard chest as she tried to wipe her tears. She looked up to see a smirking Damon and her anger boiled and bubbled, just threatening to spill over.

"Whoa, easy there. Buy a ticket like everyone else." Damon quipped and Grace clenched her fists at her sides.

"Do you think you're funny? Rubbing it in Alaric's face?" She shoved him roughly and he stared back at her.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Damon! You killed my aunt and you killed Elena's birth mother!" She jabbed a finger at him.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that, leech?" Adam snarled and the vampire gave him a menacing look.

"You're lucky that this place is filled with people because if it weren't, I'd clip those wings of yours." He spat.

"The woman you killed, her name was Isobel, right?" Grace chimed in. "She was my aunt and Elena's birth mother. Go ahead. Reminisce how you killed her."

"Am I missing something here?" The vampire shrugged and Grace took out her phone, producing the photo of her aunt.

"Does she look familiar to you?" She asked snidely and Damon's bright blue eyes ran over the photo. Grace snatched her phone back and dragged Adam outside the Grill. The two Guardians' saw Stefan and Elena standing over a man in the middle of the street and they ran over.

"What happened?" Adam asked.

"I saw this man outside Trudie's house. He told me to stop looking." Elena replied.

"I got a call from someone this afternoon telling me to tell you to stop looking for Isobel." Grace added frantically. Stefan and Elena dug through the man's pockets and fished out a cell phone.

"C'mon, let's get you girls home." Stefan said.

* * *

><p>Grace sat up in her room, cuddled in her bed but she was sitting up with her knees tucked to her chest. She was clutching a photo of her and her aunt Isobel from one of the many picture frames that rested on her dresser. The photo was taken a couple of years before, when she was a teenager, right after her father died. Isobel could always make her feel special and make her smile even though her father was gone. She was kind and warmhearted with a free spirit. Grace's hand tightened around the photo, making it crumple at the thought of Damon ruthlessly killing her like she was nothing. She exhaled roughly, trying to release some of her anger and she smoothed out the creases of the photograph. Looking down at the picture, Grace couldn't feel anything but her own anger and rage. Normally when she looked at a photo of a person, she could feel their energy. She climbed out of bed and walked over to her dresser, picking up a photo of her and Elena when she graduated college. Grace was in her bright blue gown with her cap while Elena was hugging her tightly. The Guardian felt Elena's confusion yet relief that she was able to find her birth mother. Grace placed the photo down before picking up the one of her and her father. She didn't feel anything when she looked at her father's handsome face. Grace couldn't feel the energies of people that passed away. It was just a constant reminder to Grace that these people were really gone. Isobel's and her father's energies were dead and so were they. The Guardian heard her bedroom door being gently pushed open and she turned to see Adam enter her room with two cups of tea. She smiled, a few tears spilling over and she wiped them with the back of her hand. Grace placed the photos down and walked over to Adam, taking a cup and sitting down on the edge of her bed. He joined her and the two drank in silence for a little while until Grace started to break down.<p>

"I can't feel anything." Grace whimpered and Adam put her arm around her. She leaned into his shoulder, letting more tears fall and Adam just held her. She felt warm and safe in his embrace and she soaked up every bit of that feeling.

"I'm so sorry, Grace." He whispered softly. The older Guardian knew exactly how she felt. Whenever he looked at a photo of her mother, he couldn't feel anything either. "Listen to me, you're gonna get through this. You're so strong, you know that?" Adam squeezed her tightly and she nodded against him.

"I know, but sometimes I just feel so alone." She cried.

"You'll never be alone." Adam consoled her and she wiped her tears. Grace inhaled and exhaled, calming herself down and she already felt a little bit better being in the Guardian's company.

"Thank you." She smiled, looking up at him and Adam cupped her cheek. His thumb brushed over the wet skin, drying it and Grace felt that familiar warm tingle on her skin. Grace leaned in closer; her entire being was drawn to his warmth and safety. Her eyes fluttered closed, her eyelashes dancing against her cheeks and Adam's lips pressed softly against hers. Grace placed her hands on his cheeks, pulling him closer as her lips moved rhythmically against his. Being with him made her fears seem so small and unimportant. In his arms, she would be okay. Adam trapped her bottom lip between his and gently sucked, making the newborn Guardian sigh. She was nearly drunk off of the sensations she was feeling from him. Her senses were on overdrive as she kissed him passionately. Her life was practically turned upside down since she came back into Mystic Falls, but Adam was really the only person who kept her sane.

A shrill ringing from her purse startled the two Guardians and Grace blushed furiously. Adam smiled back at her; his lips tingled from their passionate kiss. Grace took her phone from her bag and frowned at the unknown caller ID. It couldn't have been the man from tonight, he was dead in the middle of the road.

"Hello?"

_"Hello, Grace."_

The newborn Guardian's breath caught in her throat at the familiar voice on the other line. A lump formed in her throat, her heart was in her mouth, and her stomach was in knots. It wasn't real, it couldn't be real!

"Aunt Isobel." She stated when she finally got her breath back. Adam looked questioningly at her, his eyes were the size of dinner saucers and Grace probably looked the same way. "You…you died. I saw it."

_"No, Grace. I'm reborn."_ Isobel spoke softly.

"A vampire…you're a vampire!" Grace hushed. "But why?"

_"It was what I wanted. I wanted more than a normal life."_

"I don't understand." She shook her head.

_"No one does, sweetie."_ Isobel said. _"How are you? I miss you."_

"I miss you too." Grace whispered.

_"Still getting those visions?"_ She asked and Grace nodded.

"Yes, I saw Damon biting you." Grace replied and involuntarily shuddered at the memory. "Did he…hurt you?"

_"Oh, no, Grace. It was wonderful. He made sure I felt no pain." _Isobel explained and Grace frowned. Impossible! How can being bitten by a monster feel good? _"How have you been? How's mom doing?"_ It was as if the two never left each other. Their conversations were always simple and always flowing.

"We're all good here. Mom is mom." Grace chuckled and so did her aunt. "Does she know that you're a vampire?"

_"No, as far as she knows, I'm alive and well."_ Isobel replied. _"I'm sorry that I have to lie about this, but I want to protect you and your mother."_

"I know that. Mom lied to me about being a Guardian, but I know that she wanted to protect me." Grace said.

_"It's a fine line, Grace."_ Isobel sighed.

"But, I am a Guardian. I transformed last night." She couldn't help but smile as she said it.

_"Congratulations, sweetie! I'm so proud of you!"_ The Guardian could hear her aunt smiling over the phone and she smiled too.

"Thank you." Grace smiled back.

_"Grace, you can't tell Elena that you've heard from me."_ Isobel said and Grace clenched her fist at her side.

"Aunt Isobel…" She trailed off.

_"No, you can't say a word to her."_ Isobel protested.

"Why? She needs to know who her mother is." Grace prompted. It wasn't fair that Elena had to go through her life without knowing who her birth mother is. Even if Isobel was a vampire, she was still Elena's mother. "She needs her family!"

_"You are her family now. She's not ready to know about me yet. In time she will be."_

"When?"

_"Soon. But not now. Please, Grace, I don't want to compel you to forget."_

"Fine! I won't tell her. I promise." Grace begged and she heard her aunt sigh.

_"Alright, thank you, Grace. I love you, don't ever forget that."_

"I love you too, Aunt Isobel." The line went dead and Grace looked back at Adam who was still sitting on the edge of her bed. His dark brown eyes ran over every feature on her face to her posture, reading her.

"Are you alright, Grace?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah…I actually am." She said dreamily and darted over to her vanity table. She picked up the photo of her and her aunt, but the feeling was still the same when she looked at the photo. "I still don't feel anything." Adam joined her, holding the photo and he couldn't' feel anything either.

"I don't get it. She's alive but I don't feel anything at all."

"Me neither," Grace frowned. "Maybe we're not supposed to feel vampires?"

"Beats me, I'll have to ask my dad about it. He might know more about it." Adam said. "I've gotta get home anyway, your mom will be home soon and she gets antsy about me being in your room when we're alone." He joked.

"I know, but I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Grace smirked and started to lead Adam downstairs when they heard the front door unlock. The two Guardians froze and ran back up the stairs, hiding in Grace's room. "We have the worst timing in the world." She whispered softly as she opened up her bedroom window. "Can you make the jump?" She asked nervously.

Adam looked out the window and smirked, "I'll be alright."

"Grace?" Diana called.

"I'll be right down, mom!" Grace yelled through her closed door and Adam stepped onto the window sill. "Please, be careful."

"I'll be fine, Grace." Adam smiled. "Besides, maybe we can work on your healing skills." He laughed.

"It won't be funny when you break both of your legs." Grace mumbled as she helped Adam to the edge. "Call me when you get home?" She asked.

"Sure." The Guardian stood on the edge, but turned to look at Grace. "Good night, Grace."

"Night." She bit her lip and leaned in; giving Adam's lips a quick kiss just as the doorknob to her bedroom turned. Grace spun around to see Diana standing in her doorway. Shoot, she was busted.

"Hi honey! How was your night?" Diana asked and Grace frowned before turning around. Adam was gone and out of sight.

"Oh, it was great! Adam drove me home cause at some points the raffle just dragged." She shrugged.

"I agree." Her mother chuckled. "Well, I'm going to head to bed. These heels are killing me! Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Night, mom." Grace smiled and her mother closed the door behind her. The newborn Guardian looked out the window into the dark night and saw no one. Phew, that was a close one!

* * *

><p><strong>AN: For those of you who have not read my tumblr, my dad has been in the hospital for the past week with a bad infection in his foot. The surgeon has operated twice and hopefully the infection is cleared up. My dad will be home on Saturday, but he will pretty much be immobile for 2-3 months. That means writing for me will have to take a little bit of a back seat. I will try to write when I can, but please, please, please be patient with me.<strong>

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**Hope you enjoyed and please review :)**


	17. There Goes The Neighborhood

**Hello my lovely readers! I'm slowly getting to update my stories and I apologize for the long wait. I am in a show this summer and I have rehearsals night. Needless to say: I get up, eat, go to rehearsals, shower, write and repeat! Phew! But I love you guys so, so much!**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my characters/story.**

* * *

><p>Grace spent most of the early morning dancing in the studio; it was always something she would do whenever she had a lot on her mind. Last night was like a wild whirlwind. Her aunt Isobel, who she thought was dead, was actually alive as a vampire. The crazier part of it was that Grace and Elena were somewhat related, but Grace was sworn to secrecy not to tell Elena anything about Isobel. Grace was torn, she wanted to tell Elena everything about Isobel, but she knew that she would be crossing a vampire if she was to tell that secret.<p>

The dancer twirled and leaped across the wooden floor, trying to clear her head when a couple knocks on the studio door made her freeze in place. Peering through the window, she could see that it was a couple of the girls from her hip hop class. Grace smiled before turning off the music and opening the door for them.

"Hi, girls." She greeted. "How is everything?"

"Hey Grace! What pieces are you doing for the open house?" Taylor asked.

"Oh, shoot. I totally forgot about that." Grace grimaced. She had forgotten that the studio would be hosting an open house for incoming students and it was like a little recital to showcase the best numbers and dancers. She had choreographed a couple of pieces for herself, but practicing them had become nearly impossible with all of the supernatural business around Mystic Falls.

"Because Kathy wants to see them." Her friend bounced on the balls of her feet and Grace ran a hand through her messy curls. Kathy was the owner of the studio and oversaw everything.

"Alright, I'll get on it as soon as I can." She sighed and Taylor frowned.

"Are you alright, Grace? You haven't really been around in the studio lately." The blonde asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, honey. There's just a lot of stuff going on right now, but I'm okay." Grace tried her best to sound convincing but her friend could pick up on it.

"You need to let loose and have some fun!" Taylor cheered and Grace found herself smiling at her friends' enthusiasm. The group of girls pranced into the room and Taylor bounded for the stereo near the door. She thumbed through some CD's before picking one and playing it. The familiar sounds of a Beyoncé song reached the Guardian's ears and she could feel the bass making the floor vibrate. "Remember this one? You did it for the winter showcase and the crowd went crazy!" She turned the volume higher and Grace felt her hips aching to sway to the beat. The dancer walked to the center of the floor and started to recall her routine. It was different from her normal ballet work, but she loved the contrasting styles of dance no matter how difficult and intricate they were. Grace popped her hips to the beat as she channeled the legend who was belting on the track. Taylor and some of the other girls called some other students to watch.

"Grace is dancing!" They whispered excitedly as to not distract the dancer. Grace was a wonderful dancer, but an even better person. She had a heart of gold and she danced with such a passion that it brought audiences to their feet and tears to their eyes. Grace moved across the floor with a confident air and sexy attitude that made the other students cheer her on. She smiled, even smirked at the attention, but this was what she loved to do. It was a gift she was given and she would dance till she died. She sang along with the words and danced to the beat as if she was performing for thousands even though there were only a handful of students watching. Everyone was so enthralled with watching Grace dance when suddenly, the stereo was shut off and the room was plunged into silence. Grace stopped dancing, nearly falling over at the sudden stop of music and every head in the room turned to see Miss Danielle standing there, her hand on the power button of the stereo.

"What is going on here?" She snapped and eyed Grace, who was standing frozen still.

"We were just dancing…" Taylor spoke up and Miss Danielle turned on her.

"I wasn't asking you." The teacher growled and the blonde went quiet. "Everyone, out. Now." She ordered and they all scattered, except for Grace. The Guardian knew that she was in deep trouble, she hadn't been to Miss Danielle's class in weeks and here she was not working on any of the pieces she had learned from that class. Miss Danielle was a strict ballet teacher who thought that all other forms of dance were inferior. She hated any kind of dance and despised music that wasn't ballet.

"Miss Danielle, I–"

"Where have you been, Grace? I was willing to be lenient, but I haven't heard from you and you're in here, goofing off when you should be working!"

"I know and I'm sorry, but–"

"Have you worked on any pieces for my class?" Miss Danielle asked heatedly and Grace shook her head.

"No…"

"Hmm, that's great, Grace. So, when scouts and agents come to this school and you fall flat on your face, don't come crying to me about it."

"I was just having fun, Miss Danielle." Grace protested.

"Fun?" Miss Danielle stared back at her incredulously. "Fun?" She repeated even louder and Grace actually flinched. "Will having fun get you somewhere in life?"

"But–"

"Ladies," A male voice startled the two and they jumped back, their eyes shifting to where the voice came from. "Is everything alright?" A tall man stood in the doorway with a nice suit on. His dark oak brown eyes penetrated Grace's form and she felt like this man could read everything about her. The tips of his brown hair brushed over his eyebrows and he seemed very regal as he stood there.

"Who are you?" Miss Danielle shrieked at the man's presence while Grace stood stone still. She knew that he was supernatural just by looking at him. He was too perfect and handsome for words. He was a vampire, he had to be.

"Danielle," Kathy called as she came into the room. "This is Mr. Smith. He's a scout from The Metropolitan Opera House in New York." She explained and Miss Danielle suddenly straightened up, all traces of anger leaving her face.

"I apologize, Mr. Smith. I was just disciplining one of our students." She said sophistically and Grace couldn't help but glare at the back of her teachers' head.

"Yes, I heard you from the lobby." Mr. Smith deadpanned and Danielle's face paled. "I don't think your method of disciplining is appropriate."

"But…I was just–" Miss Danielle stammered and Grace's eyes widened. This was the first time that she had seen her teacher flustered.

"I believe that this student holds more passion than any dancer I've scouted in my career." He said and Grace stared back at him in disbelief. This man was completely defending her. "Dancers should be experienced in every kind of dance and here you are berating a student for doing so." Mr. Smith's voice was firm and it left Miss Danielle shaking in her pointe shoes. Grace looked between the two opposing forces and could see that Miss Danielle was chewing on her foot that was currently lodged in her mouth.

"Danielle, I'd like to speak with you outside." Kathy's voice brought the teacher from her fog and both women left studio. Grace eyed the older man and couldn't help but notice that he was very handsome. She felt the need to tuck a curl behind her ear and look down at her feet in an effort to hide her blush.

"You are a wonderful dancer, Miss Clark." He said and her eyes snapped up to meet his.

"Thank you, sir." She replied respectfully and she managed to catch sight of Kathy and Miss Danielle arguing in hushed tones. Grace felt guilty that Miss Danielle was getting in trouble and she cleared her throat. "Uhm, she yelled at me because I hadn't come to her class in weeks. I deserved it." She mumbled but Elijah shook his head.

"I don't think so. I think a talk after class would have been sufficient." He replied. "I am more of a classical man myself, but I think today's kind of dance has its own kind of art to it."

"I like classical too, but it's nice to let loose and have fun once and a while." Grace smiled and Mr. Smith couldn't help but smile along with her. "I'm doing a bunch of pieces from The Sleeping Beauty for our open house and it's one of my favorites." She bounced excitedly on the tips of her toes and Elijah watched her with enthusiastic eyes. "Will you be attending, Mr. Smith?"

"I shall. In fact I'm quite looking forward to it." He nodded.

"Good, I'm glad." She said, but then she wanted to take it back, not wanting to seem too eager. "I mean, I will see you there."

The man chuckled at her simplicity while adjusting the cuff on his sleeve. "I have another appointment that I mustn't be late for, but it was a pleasure meeting you…"

"Grace." She smiled. "My name is Grace."

"I shall see you soon, Grace." Mr. Smith bid her goodbye before leaving the studio and Grace exhaled. Gosh, he was handsome. A little old for her, but she could still look. Taylor had quietly snuck back into the room to grab her bag, but she also wanted to grill her friend on the hottie in a suit.

"God, who was that?"

"A scout from New York." Grace replied dreamily.

"So…what did he say?" Taylor asked enthusiastically.

"Oh, he said I was a wonderful dancer."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know!" The blonde nudged her.

"Oh, please, he was completely professional about my dancing."

"Well, he doesn't have a wedding band on his finger." She smirked.

"Taylor!" Grace hollered and covered her cheeks.

"What? He's hot! I love a man in a suit." Taylor giggled. "Come on, you get that hot guy Adam and I get Mr. Smith. It's perfect!"

"You're delusional." The Guardian shook her head and moved to gather her things.

"No, I'm logical." She tapped the side of her head and followed Grace to pick up her own bag. "Speaking of Mr. Hottie from the football game, how are things going with him?"

Grace smiled. "Things are going nicely."

"Did you two do the nasty yet?" Taylor smirked.

"What? No! No, we didn't do the nasty." She shook her head.

"Get on that, girl." The blonde giggled.

"You're sick!" Grace bellyached.

"No, I'm–"

"Logical, I know!"

* * *

><p>Adam smiled at the young Guardian as she practiced her skills. "You're getting really good."<p>

"You think so?" Grace looked back at him as she tossed around a ball of fire confidently.

"Yeah,"

"Well, I've been practicing a lot." She closed her hands over the ball and it vanished into her skin, little wisps of smoke wafting through the air. "Hey, listen, I've got a little kink in my wing." She grimaced and rolled her shoulders.

"Lemme take a look at it." He nodded and Grace turned away from him, exposing her back to him. She wore a thin spaghetti strap tank top so her wings wouldn't rip her top. She closed her eyes and willed her wings to come out. Grace gently flapped them a couple of times before settling them against her back. She looked into the mirror in front of her and could see that her wings had grown a little bit. They spanned out a little wider and the feathers were fluffed out more.

Grace shook out her wings as she felt a little prick on her skin. "Ouch! I felt it again."

"Where is it? Tell me." He asked and Grace wiggled her right wing.

"It's right near my shoulder blade." She explained and Adam prodded her back. "A little down…no, now go to the left. Mmhmm, right ther–OW!" She jumped away from him and she looked over her shoulder to see Adam holding a white feather in his hand. Grace felt her back and moved her wings around, the pain was gone. "How'd you do that?"

"Ingrown feather." Adam answered and blew the feather in her air. "You've gotta preen them."

"You mean like a…bird?" Grace tilted her head.

"Yes, like a bird." He laughed.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, flapping her wings. "Hmm, I didn't think I could get used to them, but I love my wings."

"Yeah, they're quite a handful at first, but they're nice."

"Can I fly?" Grace asked quizzically.

"Sure." He nodded. "But you can't now. Your wings are too small. They have to get a little bit bigger in order to support your weight."

Grace frowned but wiggled her wings anyway. "You'll have to teach me."

"I will, but you're a baby bird now." Adam chuckled and Grace scowled playfully at him.

"I am not a baby bird." She crossed her arms across her chest. "Why? How big are your wings, tough guy?" Adam snickered, taking off his shirt and Grace rolled her eyes. "Alright, we get it. You've got a killer body." She bellyached and Adam let his wings unwrap from his back, stretching them out as wide as they could go. Grace's eyes widened at how large they were, they made her wings look like little baby ones. Next to him, she really did look like a baby bird. They were pure white and each feather was neatly in place.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"Alright, so they're huge! Big deal!" Grace shrugged, crossing her arms across her chest. Adam gave her a smile and turned his back towards her, stretching out his wings even more. Grace's eyes traced over his strong back and wings, her cheeks heating up slightly. Her feet moved so she was standing behind him, he felt her presence, but didn't try to stop her. Grace reached her hands out to gently brush against the feathers. Adam shivered slightly as her fingers tickled his wings and Grace made her touch a little firmer seeing that he was enjoying it. She combed through his feathers, loving the feeling of them on her skin. The young Guardian then rubbed her thumbs over the skin where his wings sprouted. It amazed her how when his wings were out, they looked irremovable and completely lodged into the skin, but when they disappeared, it was like they were never there. Adam's wings trembled under her touch, flapping lightly before settling at his sides.

"Grace," Adam called softly as he turned to face her. Her hands rested comfortably on his shoulders for a moment or two and danced down his toned chest. His muscles slightly twitched and so did his wings. Grace felt her heart flutter as Adam's hands circled around her waist to firmly grasp her hips. She stared up at him and was nearly engulfed by the warmth that surrounded them. Guardians always felt warmth and comfort between one another and Grace and Adam felt no different. The attraction between them was undeniable but Adam was meant to be her teacher, however he felt himself wanting to give into his temptations. Grace couldn't help herself as she moved her hands to cup his cheeks, her thumbs brushing over the slight stubble. She pulled his face down to hers, skimming her lips over his shaking ones. Adam suddenly pulled her close, their bodies pressed up against one another and their lips did the same. They moved delicately and gracefully before Adam moved his lips to her neck. Grace moaned at the feel of his teeth nibbling the skin and a small gasp left her lips as he squeezed her hips tightly.

"Oh, Adam." Grace whimpered as she clutched him. Her wings shivered, pressing into her back as Adam's wings wrapped around the both of them. His strong wings acted as a cocoon, shielding their bodies from the outside world. Grace pulled her lips back, stopping the kiss and placing her hands on his chest. She stared up at him, trying to read what was going through his head. He stroked her hair, tucking some strands behind her ear.

"Woah," He chuckled down at her.

"Yeah, woah…" She giggled. "I…I just feel safe with you."

"I know. I feel that way too." Adam smiled down at her.

"Is that a Guardian thing?" She raised an eyebrow.

Adam nodded slightly as he retracted his wings, causing Grace to do the same. "Guardians feel a sense of closeness around other Guardians."

"Ever since I met you, I've felt drawn to you." She smiled up at him.

"Me too, I could tell that you were a Guardian the night of the football game."

"How?" Grace raised an eyebrow.

"I just knew it." He replied with a shrug. "If you were to ever see or meet another Guardian, you'd probably know it."

"Hmm, sounds interesting." She mused. "Hey, I met a scout from New York today." Grace bounced happily on the balls of her feet.

"Really?" Adam smiled. "What did he say?"

"Well, he really liked me, but he'll be coming to our open house in a couple of weeks." She said.

"And what will happen if he wants to recruit you?" He asked.

"I don't know. I guess I'd go to New York." Grace shrugged.

"You'd just leave?"

Grace stared back at him. "Yeah, I mean, I've been waiting for a big break like this my whole life. I'd be crazy to turn it down."

"What about Elena?" Adam raised an eyebrow. "And all your friends here."

"They'd be okay without me. Besides, they would want me to go for it." Grace nodded. "Why? Would you miss me too much?" She gave him a little smirk.

Adam's cheeks blushed a little. "Well, yeah, I would." He admitted and Grace smiled. "I would miss you, Grace."

"Thanks. I'd miss you too, Adam." Grace leaned up on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek. "I'm hungry; you wanna come out to the Grill with me?"

"Sure. I'd love to."

* * *

><p>"You really do suck at pool." Adam joked. "You weren't kidding!"<p>

"Shut up!" Grace stamped her feet impatiently as she watched Adam line up to take his shot. "I do not! You just like to cheat!"

Adam laughed while watching the young Guardian grumble under her breath. "Here, lemme show you a trick." He beckoned her over to stand beside him and the two leaned over the pool table. "Pick a ball, any ball." He instructed and Grace's large brown eyes traveled over the green felt and colored balls.

"Number thirteen." She nodded, keeping her eyes on the burnt orange colored band that surrounded the ball.

"Okay, now concentrate on moving it." Adam said and Grace did as she was told. Being able to concentrate was a lot easier since her transition was complete. She blocked out all of the outside noise around her and moved her eyes along the surface of the pool table. To her complete surprise, the ball started to roll slowly and Grace made it move across the felt until it fell into the rightmost corner pocket. Grace jumped up; cheering as if she won the game and Adam watched her.

"Oh my god! That was amazing!" She smiled.

"Cool stuff, huh?" He picked up his pool stick, leaning on it.

"So, don't tell me that you were using that little trick to beat me!" Grace raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

Adam shook his head. "No way. Although, you can use that to win since you don't have a chance in hell." He smirked and Grace scoffed at him.

"That's okay, because I don't need tricks to win." She snatched the pool stick from him before lining herself up to take a shot.

"Well, hello Grace." Damon's velvety voice made the two Guardians scowl.

"Damon," Grace greeted nonchalantly.

"Well, don't look too excited to see me." The vampire smirked.

"Look, Damon, you've caused enough damage." Adam grumbled.

"Aww, come on, I'm just saying hello to my two favorite little love birds." Damon slurred and Grace could practically smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Fine. Hello and goodbye, Damon." The younger Guardian snapped, turning on her heel and gripping Adam's hand, dragging him away from the condescending vampire. Grace spotted Elena, Stefan, Matt and Caroline sitting at a booth and decided to head there, but she accidently knocked shoulders with a man.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Grace stammered, steadying herself by gripping his forearm. Her mind was suddenly catapulted back to the night in the tomb. She remembered running through the dark hallways and tripping over something.

_Grace hit the ground with a loud thud, the air in her lungs being pushed out by the impact of the fall. She heard her friends calling for her and she struggled to get herself back up. She was able to get onto her hands and knees, starting to crawl forward but something gripped her ankle. Grace pulled against what was holding her back and finally turned over her shoulder to see a grayish hand wrapped around her ankle. A shot of horror ran up and down her spine as the realization hit her that a vampire was trying to keep her in the tomb and use her as a snack. Grace looked over her shoulder to see a man with dark hair yanking at her ankle. He groaned and __bared__his fangs as he crept closer to her. Grace did the first thing that came to mind and thrust her foot towards his face, hitting him dead on__,__making the man let go of her. The vampire snarled, cradling his nose just as Damon came to scoop an injured Grace off the tomb floor and rush her towards the door._

"Uhm, miss, are you alright?" The man's voice startled her and she stared back up at him. This was the vampire who grabbed her in the tomb. She could only gather that her mind blocked this from her memory as a result of the emotional and physical shock that her body endured that night, but it was all coming back to her now.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She tried to play it off like she didn't just have a vision but the vampire was looking at her like he remembered her. "Sorry about that." She mumbled and Adam guided her back towards the booth that they were originally headed to. Grace looked back to see the man still staring at her and she panicked even more. She gripped Adam's hand tightly and dragged him into the bathroom with her.

"Grace, what happened?" He asked urgently as he watched her lock the bathroom door behind them.

"That man. He was in the tomb." She hushed quietly, knowing that the vampire could hear her if he was listening. "I remember him. He tried to pull me back inside the tomb when I fell."

Adam's dark brown eyes flared with anger that this guy would dare make a move. "Alright, just relax. I'll take you home and I'll stay with you." Grace let out a breath of relief and nodded. A knock at the door made the Guardians freeze and hold their breaths, anxious for who could be on the other side.

"Who is it?" Grace asked warily.

"It's Elena." The pair opened the door, ushering Elena inside and quickly shutting the door. "Grace, that man out there that you knocked into, he called me Katherine."

Grace's eyes widened, this guy was definitely trouble. "He was in the tomb. He's a vampire. He recognizes me from that night, I know it!"

"Look, how about you two come with Stefan and me back to the boarding house. You two will be safer there." The teen suggested and the two Guardians felt it would be better to be with vampires on their side.

* * *

><p>"So, you saw him in the tomb?" Stefan asked as the group was reconvened at the boarding house. Matt and Caroline were on their way, so the group had some time to talk about the vampire problem.<p>

"Yes, he was there." Grace nodded firmly.

"What should we do?" Adam asked.

"Well, vampires can't enter a house without an invitation so you guys are welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like." Stefan offered.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "You'd do that for us?"

"Not all vampires are bad, Adam." The green eyed vampire pressed. "You both are friends with Elena and I don't want anyone to get hurt." The elder Guardian seemed to soften at Stefan's offer. Grace knew that Adam hated vampires, but Stefan wasn't the kind of vampire that was ruthless. Hopefully Adam could open up to the idea of being around vampires rather than hating their guts.

"Thanks, Stefan." Adam gave him a nod.

"Do you like cars?" Stefan asked and Adam smiled.

"Yeah, I love cars." They both left the girls in the living room and went outside to the garage.

"Look at them, all bromancy." Elena giggled and so did Grace.

"Hey, if it can make Adam feel better about vampires…" She trailed off.

"He doesn't like vampires?" The doppelganger asked.

"Hates them. Vampires killed his mother." Grace said sadly.

Elena frowned and patted Grace's shoulder. "Wow, that's terrible."

"Yeah, he carries that weight on his shoulders and it tears him apart." The young Guardian shook her head. "I can just feel it. It's hard to explain."

"Well, hopefully this is a step in the right direction for him." Elena smiled hopefully and Grace nodded. The pair heard a sound from inside the living room and exchanged a worried look. They both snuck towards the noise to see Damon making out with some drunken brunette up against the wall.

"Mom?" Matt's distressed voice came from behind them. He must have come in through the side entrance by the garage.

"Damon?" Caroline exclaimed and the couple broke apart.

The brunette climbed down from Damon and tried to hide her face. "Oh my god, Matt! Oh my god!" She took her bag and shoes before pushing past everyone. Matt left quickly after her just when Stefan and Adam came inside the house.

"I gotta go…" Matt mumbled.

"It's fine, go." Caroline nodded.

"I'll take you home, Care." Elena offered and the two girls left, leaving Stefan, Grace, and Adam. They all looked disappointingly at Damon who just sipped his glass of bourbon.

"Are you two birds of a feather just going to stand there?" Damon quipped.

"Are you just going to be an asshole?" Grace bit, crossing her arms across her chest.

Damon raised his glass up to toast her. "Touché."

"Adam and Grace saw a vampire from the tomb in town." Stefan stated. "They're staying here for a little bit."

"Afraid that a big, bad vampire will eat you?" The blue eyed vampire wiggled his eyebrows at the pair. "Although we tend to stay away from things with feathers."

Adam was ready to open his mouth and rebut, but a shape smashed through the window, tackling Stefan to the ground. Grace immediately recognized him as the man from the tomb and the Grill. Another woman jumped, going for Grace and the two women wrestled with one another. The female vampire snarled, baring her fangs and Grace growled at her. Damon jumped for the vampire on Stefan while Adam went for the female vampire. Grace shoved the vampire off her and Adam jumped on her. The male vampire threw both Stefan and Damon off him and blurred for Grace, gripping her hair and throwing her to the wall. His hand wrapped around her neck, choking her and Grace raised her hands, effectively burning him. He let go of her, clutching his arms where he was burned and looked back to see his female vampire friend with a stake in her heart, courtesy of Stefan. Grace, Adam, and Damon were crouched, ready to attack the vampire but he quickly fled through the window and into the night. The group looked around, making sure that the vampire was gone and they heard Stefan groan out. He held his chest, which was bleeding heavily and Grace rushed over to him.

"Stefan, are you alright?" The young Guardian asked.

"Yeah," He breathed. "I'm just weak now."

"If you puke on this carpet…" Damon grumbled and Grace gave him a scowl.

"Damon, stop it." Grace growled. "Do you want me to heal you?"

"No, uh, I'll be fine." Stefan prodded his chest. "I remember them from 1864."

"It's beyond depressing that you needed them to jump through a window and stab you to jog your memory." Damon rolled his eyes. "Hey, feathers, you can make yourself useful by cleaning up the glass on the floor." He smirked and the two Guardians started to carefully sweep up the glass. Stefan was on the phone with Elena, making sure she got home okay and he was sure to keep quiet about the incident that happened with the tomb vampires. Adam and Grace cleaned up the floor, making sure no glass littered the room and Damon was taking care of the vampire carcass.

"What do you think they were after?" Grace asked.

"I don't know." Adam shrugged his shoulders.

"Probably revenge." Damon chimed in, making the two Guardians look back at him. "The reason that all of those vampires are in the tomb is because of Katherine."

"But then why would they come after you? It's Katherine's fault that they're down there." Adam said.

"But, Katherine couldn't keep her legs closed." Grace grumbled and Damon threw her a look. "What? She couldn't. She played you and Stefan for fools and she didn't get out of Mystic Falls in time."

Damon pulled the female vampires body towards the fireplace. "Hey, you wanna help me with this?"

"No thanks, I actually have to head home. I've got class early tomorrow." Grace replied.

"Come on, let's go." Adam placed a hand at her lower back, leading her out of the house.

* * *

><p>Adam walked Grace up the walkway to her house, stopping at the front door. "Well, tonight was a nice night until all of the vampire stuff came up." The young Guardian smiled.<p>

"I guess we have to be extra careful now." He said.

"We'll be okay. I'm just worried about my mom. I don't want any vampire coming after her."

"As long as no vampires are invited in, they can't get in the house." Adam noted and Grace just nodded simply. She hadn't told Adam that she had invited Damon into her house, so she'd rather keep it a secret.

"But, thanks for tonight. Vampire drama aside, I had a nice time." Grace grinned at Adam.

"Me too." He bent down to give her a quick peck on the lips. "I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Mmhmm. Night, Adam."

"Goodnight, Grace." Adam watched her close the door behind her and sighed in relief, hearing the lock move into place. At least she'd be safe from any tomb vampires since they couldn't get into her house. He stepped off the front porch, and reached for his car keys but stopped, hearing a branch cracking underneath someone's foot. The Guardian looked over his shoulder, checking his surroundings; but he knew that someone was here. Adam clenched his fists just as a rush of wind passed behind him. He whirled around, trying to catch what was moving, but he just missed it. Adam suddenly felt strong hands grip his shoulders and a set of sharp teeth embedded themselves in his neck. He groaned, but his noises were quickly muffled as the vampire continued to take blood from him. It wasn't long until the Guardian fell weakly to the ground and the vampire stood over him. He licked the blood from his lips before looking back at Grace's home. He missed his chance with her, but he'd make up for it with Adam. The vampire slung Adam's limp body over his shoulder and sauntered down the dark street.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh oh! Adam seems to have gotten himself into some trouble! And who is this mysterious Mr. Smith? (I'm sure that most of you know!)<strong>

**Please review and let me know what you thought and what you'd like to see next!**


	18. Let The Right One In

**Hi everyone! Here's the next update for you :)** **Thanks for all the amazing support and I'm sorry for the wait -_-**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

* * *

><p>Grace's body bowed off her bed as she let out a shrill scream. She was covered in sweat, her muscles were tense, and her heart was booming against her chest. Her eyes darted around and she sighed in relief that she was in the safety of her room. A crack of thunder made her head snap towards her window to see that rain was pelting against the glass. Her dream had shaken her to the core and she kept convincing herself that it was just a dream. She saw Adam all tied up and weak while men were stabbing his body with sharp knives. She tried to shake it off, but it was absolutely terrifying. Grace reached for her phone on the bedside table and panicked even more, seeing that she had no messages from Adam. She asked him to text her when he got home and he didn't. The young Guardian quickly shot him a message and waited anxiously for a reply. She didn't have to wait long as her phone buzzed and her eyes ran over the block letters.<p>

_Hey! Sorry I didn't text last night. Went for a morning run. Talk to you later._

She placed the phone down on her bedside table and felt more at ease that he was okay. Grace looked over at the clock and the red numbers blinked at her.

7:23am

Grace grumbled before flopping back down to her pillows and trying to get back to sleep. She didn't have to be at the studio today, so she'd take advantage of sleeping late.

* * *

><p>Frederick slid open the lock and pushed the heavy metal door open. The basement cellar was dark and empty except for the Guardian who was strung up, hanging from ropes and chains that were anchored to the ceiling. Frederick stalked over to the winged man who was unconscious. Adam stirred slightly and Frederick punched him in the stomach. Adam groaned, his arms were numb from loss of circulation and his head was spinning from the loss of blood from the bite mark on his neck.<p>

"Oh good, you're up." Frederick snickered and Adam hung his head. "How'd you sleep? Can I get you anything?" He snickered sarcastically.

"Go to hell." Adam breathed and that got him another hit in the stomach. In an effort to shield himself, his wings tried to wrap around his body but they hung limply at his sides. They twitched as Adam tried to control their movements but it was like they were paralyzed. "What do you want?"

"Population control." Frederick answered simply. "You see, you Guardians try to get rid of us vampires and we don't particularly care for that." He then took a knife from the table next to him, stalking over to Adam. The vampire lifted the knife to skim over Adam's skin before roughly jabbing it into his stomach. Adam growled and groaned as the sharp knife pierced him and Frederick removed the knife. The wound poured with blood and the vampire felt him losing control quickly at the smell of fresh blood.

"You bastard!" The Guardian growled heatedly, which rewarded him another stab.

"How about I clip those wings of yours?" He moved to slash at his wings when he heard the sound of a phone ringing from Adam's jacket, which was lying on the floor along with his shirt. Frederick dug through the clothes, finding a cell phone and smirked at the caller ID. "Oh, it's that little girlfriend of yours." Frederick dangled the phone before Adam, who growled low in his chest. "I'd love to take a bite out of her. Almost did. Too bad she got away." The vampire clicked away over the letters on Adam's phone and sent a reply to Grace's phone. "You know, it would have been nice if she could join us."

"Leave her alone!" Adam fought with his binds while Frederick just shrugged.

"Eh, I figured I'll get rid of you first before going after Grace." He said and made a slash at Adam's wings.

* * *

><p>"Grace!" Elena shouted for the third time and broke the Guardian from her daze. "Jeez, you okay? You've been out of it all day."<p>

"Yeah, I'm just running on lack of sleep." She replied with a yawn as she helped Elena around the kitchen. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

Elena let out a sigh, her worried eyes scanning over her friend. "Well, we were talking about the tomb vampires."

"Right," Grace nodded. "What's the brilliant plan to deal with them?"

"Damon wants to talk with Pearl since she's kind of their leader." Elena replied.

"Because Damon's plans always work out so well." The Guardian said sarcastically and her phone started to ring. She checked the caller ID and clicked 'ignore'. "Speak of the devil."

"And he shall appear." Damon's voice echoed from the front entrance of Elena's home. "You're both ignoring me." He stared down at both girls.

"The six missed calls? Sorry. My phone is dead." Elena said simply and Grace didn't give a reply.

"Is Stefan here?" Damon asked.

"No. Why? Something wrong?"

"He went out in the woods and didn't come back." The vampire said gravely.

_She saw Stefan jogging through the woods just on the outskirts of town. He was weak and hungry from the ordeal that happened last night and he needed to get his strength back up. He pulled his hood tighter around his head to shield his vision from the pouring rain as he continued to look for something to eat. He suddenly felt a churning in his gut and slowed his jog down to a slow walk before stopping. Something was wrong. He could feel it. Stefan turned to see two figures dressed in rain coats as a crack of lightning flew across the sky. The green eyed vampire knew he had to run from them since they posed a threat. He turned to move, but was met with a stake in his chest. He groaned and squinted his eyes, trying to get a good look at his attacker. As luck would have it, lightning struck again and he immediately recognized the vampire._

Frederick.

"I can't get him on his phone. I figured he was here with you." Damon suggested and Grace's eyes blinked a couple of times as the vision left her.

"Oh, my God." She hushed and both Elena and Damon turned towards her.

"Grace, what's wrong?" Elena asked worriedly.

"I saw Stefan." She replied. "It's the tomb vampires. They have him."

* * *

><p>Damon parked his car outside the home where the tomb vampires were staying. Elena was wringing her hands in her lap while Grace tried to console her in any way she could. The Guardian's mind was running a mile a minute. She texted Adam again, except this time, there was no reply. The tomb vampires must have Adam and Stefan; there was no other explanation for her dreams and visions.<p>

"You two, stay here." Damon commanded and Elena held her face in her hands.

"No, I'm coming with you." Grace fought.

"Stay here, Grace. Keep an eye on Elena." His voice was gruff and his eyes were strong and unyielding. Grace gritted her teeth, holding Damon's stare for a few moments but she gave him a nod. She put her arm around Elena, holding her close to her and watched Damon through the rain that was pelting against the windows.

"What if he's in there?" Elena mumbled.

"We'll get him out, Elena. It'll be okay." The Guardian whispered. "I think…I think Adam is in there too." She added and Elena looked up at her with confused eyes.

"What? How do you know?"

"I had a dream and…I didn't listen to it. It's my fault he's in there." Her voice wavered slightly and Elena gripped her hand.

"This isn't anyone's fault." Elena squeezed her hand. "We'll find a way to help them." Grace nodded and hugged Elena tightly. She had always wanted a sister and she felt that Elena was closest to filling that void. It was now ironic that they were related in the slightest bit with the involvement of Isobel. The girls saw Damon walking down the pathway from the house, his head hung low as the rain assaulted him. Grace bolted from the car, not caring if the rain was getting progressively worse.

"Damon! What happened?" She asked loudly over the strong winds.

"They have Stefan…and your friend is there too." He replied sadly and Grace clenched her fists by her sides. "I can't get in because the woman who owns the house is compelled to not let me in." Damon murmured.

"I can get in." Grace nodded.

"You're not going in there." Damon growled.

"Yes, I am!" She pushed past him and started to trek up to the house but Damon gripped her upper arm, dragging her back to him. "Let me go, Damon!"

"No, Grace. You're not going in that house!" He fought with her stubbornness, which was growing quite tiring.

"I have to! I have to get him out of there! We can't let them hurt him!" She yanked against Damon but her Guardian strength wasn't enough to overpower his vampire strength. Damon suddenly blurred Grace to push her against his car. He pinned her wrists down as she fought against him. His icy eyes held her watery brown ones as her tears mixed with the rain.

"Grace," Damon called.

"I can get in!" She cried deliriously. "Please, let me go! I can get in!"

"Grace." His firm voice reached her ears and she resulted in crying quietly. He cupped her cheeks, his thumbs brushing away her warm tears only to be replaced by new ones or the rain that was soaking them. "We'll get them out, Grace. I just don't know how." He whispered quietly to her and she sniffled. Grace felt Damon's frustration with not being able to save his brother but she also felt stirrings of determination to get to Stefan. His hands felt warm on her cold cheeks and his warmth seeped into her skin despite the chilling weather. She slowly nodded, her brown eyes darting around before turning to look back at the house.

"I think I know someone who can help us."

* * *

><p>Alaric Saltzman opened up his arsenal of vampire weapons, laying them out on his desk and the trio eyed the assortment of stakes and vervain darts. Grace had heard from Stefan that Alaric was an accomplished vampire hunter, so he was the first person they should ask about getting into the house. At first he was hesitant about helping but Damon hinted that Elena could find Isobel for him. Grace kept her lips shut the entire time, she wouldn't tell Isobel's secret. Alaric examined the new face with Damon and Elena and knew deep down that she looked familiar but he couldn't quite place her face. She simply introduced herself but left out the fact that Isobel was her aunt.<p>

"Teacher by day. Vampire hunter by night." Damon quipped.

Alaric gave him a short scoff. "I have you to thank for that."

"What are these?" Elena asked as she picked up a lethal looking needle.

"Those are tranquilizers darts filled with vervain." Alaric replied.

"Just get me in. I'll get Stefan out." Damon said.

"And what about Adam?" Grace asked heatedly.

"Yeah, and him too." The vampire waved his hand.

"Wait, who is Adam?" Ric asked.

"He's a Guardian." Grace answered tensely and the teacher looked back at her. "They are–"

"Protectors of humans." He finished for her. "I know." He gave her a nod.

"I'm one too and Adam's my friend. He taught me everything I know. I have to rescue him." She said earnestly.

"Look, all I've gotta do is get in, get them, and get out." Damon chimed in.

"Well, that plan will require some back up." Grace picked up a vervain tranquilizer.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Alaric asked suddenly.

"I'm going with you guys." The young Guardian replied simply.

"No, no, no, no, no. No way." The vampire shook his head.

"You kept me from getting in that house earlier. That won't work this time." Grace stamped her foot. "You need me and Elena. We can distract them and then get Stefan out."

"You'll both get yourselves killed! You're not going in there." Damon bit tensely.

"Yes, I am!" The brunette clenched her fists at her sides. "I can protect myself and Elena, so we'll be fine!"

"So, when you get me in," The vampire rolled his eyes. "Get out as quickly as you can. I know how to sneak around where they can't hear me. You'll basically just be in the way."

"Damon, now is not the time to be the lone ranger." Grace grumbled.

"Fine, Grace, you can be a lookout and Elena can drive the getaway car."

"Can you not joke around for two seconds?" Grace spat angrily. "You don't understand!"

"I don't know how many vampires are in there!" Damon snapped his fingers quickly. "That's how long it takes to get your head ripped off. I have to get in and out. I can't be distracted by having to worry about saving you and Elena or this will end up a bloodbath that none of us walk away from. Including Stefan and Adam." Grace stood stoically while Elena and Alaric waited in silence. "I get it. I understand." Damon finished softly and his eyes met hers. In that moment she actually believed that he understood what she was feeling.

"If we're gonna go, let's go." Alaric's voice broke the silence.

* * *

><p>The girls waited anxiously in Damon's car as the rain continued to pour. Grace had been very quiet, not a word passed her lips and she and Damon exchanged numerous glances in the rearview mirror. The Guardian was now creating small fires in her hands and extinguishing them with incredible skill and Elena watched her with wide eyes.<p>

"Doesn't that hurt you?" She asked and that snapped Grace from her trance.

"No," Grace shook her head and made a fire with one hand and gripped Elena's hand in the other. She guided Elena's hand to the fire and the teen flinched at first but her expression softened when she felt the warmth from the fire and not the burn.

"Wow." Elena ran her fingers through the fire.

"Mmhmm, pretty cool." The brunette rubbed her hands together, the fire going out. "I can't wait anymore." She huffed.

"We have to." Elena said. "Besides, we don't have any weapons."

Grace gave her friend a smirk and pulled out a vervain tranquilizer from her bag. "You know how to use one of these?" She tossed it at Elena and she caught it between her fingers. Elena stared back at Grace, completely speechless. Grace then unlocked the car door, bolting out into the rain.

"Dammit, Grace!" Elena groaned and followed her friend.

* * *

><p>The Guardian ran on the tips of her toes up the porch and ducked beneath the window. She felt Elena next to her and held onto her wrist, ready to pull her to move. The two listened carefully for anyone approaching but found no one. Grace eyed a staircase leading to a cellar and she recalled her vision with Adam was in a dark place, it could be a cellar. The Guardian tugged on Elena's wrist and nodded her head towards the stairs. Elena gave her a look with her eyes and they made a run for the steps. Both girls yanked at the door handle but growled seeing that it was locked. Grace sighed and listened for a crack of lightening before smashing her fist through the glass on the door. She reached her hand through the hole she made and hissed as more glass cut through her skin. Pushing the door open, the girls snuck into the cellar and Grace felt around for Adam's energy. It was weak, but it was there. They suddenly heard footsteps down the hallway and the girls hid around the corner. Elena gripped her syringe and Grace readied her hands with the lethal flames. A groan sounded off in the hallway and Grace peeked around the corner to see Damon looking at them.<p>

"Are you insane?" He asked with a growl and Grace rolled her eyes, pulling Elena out from behind the corner.

"Oh, shut up." She scoffed and followed the lethargic pulses of Adam's energy to a room. Grace's heart was caught in her throat seeing Adam strung up with long cuts down his body. His wings were mangled, feathers were missing in certain patches and the ones that remained on his wings were stained with blood. Stefan's body was cut as well and there was another man tied down and staked to a chair.

"Grace…" He called weakly and she ran to him, trying to find a way to get him down. Elena was doing the same with Stefan.

"What…are you two doing…here?" Stefan asked.

"They were supposed to stay in the car." Damon grumbled. "Let's get you down."

"Vervain…there's vervain on the ropes." He said, immediately stopping Damon's move to touch the ropes.

"Elena, get that." The blue eyed vampire ordered. Grace used her fire to burn through Adam's ropes and caught him as he crumpled to the ground. She was careful of his knife wounds and his broken wings, cradling him to her.

"Shh, it's okay. I've got you." She whispered softly to him.

"Grace, you have to get out of here." He rasped. Grace shrugged off her coat, draping it over Adam's body.

"Not without you." She looped her arm underneath his and slowly brought them to their feet. "C'mon, we have to walk now." She cooed and started to walk them to the door.

"I…I can't." Adam groaned quietly.

"Don't talk like that. We have to." Grace steadied the wounded Guardian and headed for the way they came in. Stefan and Elena were still in the room, freeing the vampire who was tortured for trying to help both men while Damon covered Grace and Adam as they hobbled down the hallway.

"Can you get him to the car?" Damon asked as his eyes wandered all over the hallway, making sure that they were in the clear.

"I think so." Grace replied, easing Adam up the steps.

"Alright, go." He said.

"What about you?" She stopped on the steps, looking over her shoulder to see Stefan and Elena coming up behind them.

"You rescue, I'll distract. Go!" The vampire jerked his head toward the stairs, a gesture for them to get going and fast, before the other vampires knew what was going on.

"Damon," She called and he looked back at her. "Thank you." She smiled simply and Damon gave her a nod before going down the opposite hallway.

* * *

><p>Grace had successfully made it to Damon's car and she threw open the passenger side door, sliding Adam inside. He hissed as his sliced up body made contact with the leather interior and could practically hear Damon complaining about getting blood on the seats.<p>

"You came for me…"He whispered weakly.

"Of course I did. You'd do the same for me." She took a look at his wounds and some were very bad. She could see his ribs were broken and poking through the skin and the cuts were still bleeding. With careful hands, she ran her fingers over the wounds, accessing her powers. "Why couldn't you heal yourself?"

Adam leaned into her warm touch as he felt his skin slowly healing. "Every time I tried, they just hurt me more." Grace visibly frowned as she continued to heal him.

"I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner." The orange glow on her fingertips illuminated the long cuts that were quickly becoming smaller. "Why did they do this to you?"

"They want to get rid of Guardians because they know we hunt vampires." He replied.

"But, we haven't done anything against them!" She growled.

"It doesn't matter. I heard one of them talking to Stefan about wanting revenge for being in the tomb because of Katherine."

The young Guardian examined his chest once more and let her lips curve into a small smile seeing that he was almost healed. Her eyes met his tired ones just as a hand wrapped itself in her curls. The hand tightened and yanked Grace back roughly away from Adam. She let out a battle cry, latching her hands onto the one that was pulling her and digging her nails into the skin.

"Let me go! Get off me!" Grace thrashed in his grip.

Adam got out of the car, stumbling towards the two. "Let her go! It's me you want!"

"I don't think so!" Frederick growled. "Nice of you to join us, sweet cheeks." He purred in the female Guardian's ear. The vampire jerked her around a little, making her whimper and tears stung her eyes.

"Let. Her. Go." Adam punctuated each word to make sure it went through Frederick's skull but the tomb vampire just snickered. The Guardian flexed his hands, a small fire sparking in the palm but it quickly tuckered out. Adam tried again, but he was much too weak to fight back.

Frederick chuckled menacingly. "So much for your knight in shining armor. Your other friend Stefan is gone too, but I made sure to take care of him."

"But," Grace struggled. "We still managed to fool you." She focused her powers to burn Frederick and he howled, letting her go. Grace jogged away from him, standing before Adam in a strong stance as she unwrapped her wings from her back.

"You're gonna try and attack me?" The vampire raised an eyebrow and Grace stood her ground. She flapped her wings experimentally and Frederick bared his fangs, hissing like an angry cat. Grace's hands lit up, ready to attack when out of nowhere, Stefan jumped on him from behind. Elena ran to Grace and Adam, holding her wrist and hiding behind the pair. The two men struggled, pushing and pulling at one another while the trio watched with anxious eyes.

Grace picked up a spare tree branch in her hands, "Stefan!" She called and tossed the branch to him so he could use it as a weapon. Stefan wielded the makeshift stake with such precision and was finally able to get a clean shot, stabbing him right in the gut. Frederick groaned and Stefan was able to pin him up against a tree. He continued to stab Frederick repeatedly in the heart and all of them could see that Frederick had finally met his demise, but Stefan was letting his anger and rage drain with each stab.

"Stefan, stop!" Elena begged from her spot but Stefan was too far gone. Grace then stepped forward, placing her hand on Stefan's shoulder when he finally turned on her. His vampire face was terrifying and Grace's behind promptly found the ground as she fell with a thump. Stefan stared down at the girl's face, which was riddled with horror and his eyes then trailed to Elena, who was terrified as well. The vampire let his vampiric features seep back underneath his skin and stared back at the group.

"Grace…I…I'm sorry." He murmured as he bent down to help her up, but Adam quickly beat him to it. Grace stared back at the vampire and she could see that Stefan was fighting to keep his control. Damon joined the group along with Alaric and he looked between each speechless face.

"What happened?" He asked and no one answered him.

"Can we just go home?" Grace whispered as she hugged herself into Adam's side.

* * *

><p><strong>It's short and written like shit, so I apologize for this excuse of a chapter.<strong>

**Please review :)**


	19. Under Control part 1

**Hello everyone! I promise not to tell any spoilers about tonight's mid-season finale, but it was unbelievably epic! Thanks so much to everyone for the reviews and please, if you have nothing nice to say about my work, then just don't read it. I don't mind criticism, but don't bash my work. I pour my heart and soul into my stories and don't appreciate when people can't say nice things.**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

* * *

><p>"Ladies and Gentleman, I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome you to The Mystic Dance Open House." Kathy spoke into the microphone and the crowd applauded politely. Grace stood with her classmates and looked among the faces who were sitting in the studio. Lots of smiling parents were there, including her mother who was sitting in one of the seats in the front. Adam was there too and she could even spot Elena, Caroline and Bonnie as well. "The dancers have worked very hard on their pieces and I cannot begin to express how proud I am of them. Now without further ado, let's dance!" The audience clapped and some parents even whistled.<p>

The younger girls went on first in their frilly tutus and sparkled leotards. Grace even had the pleasure of teaching a lot of the classes since Miss Danielle was fired. She watched them dance and cheered for them whenever they finished. Grace and five of her friends had changed into her costume for her first piece with her pointe class to do a number from _The Sleeping Beauty_. Each dancer was meant to be a different fairy that was to present a gift to the baby Princess Aurora. After that number was finished, Grace ripped her tight bun out of her hair and shook her curls out. Her costume went from a canary yellow tutu and body suit to a cerulean blue lyrical dress. It had a halter top with handkerchief pleats at the bottom. She kicked off her pointe shoes and pink tights to pull on a pair of nude tights and spandex under her skirts.

"And now we have a real treat." Kathy spoke to the audience again. "We have one of our assistant teachers performing a piece of her very own. I have watched her grow from a bouncing toddler to the graceful dancer that she is today. She has been an assistant teacher and she is loved by everyone. May I present to you, Grace Clark."

Grace pranced onto the floor and got into position, smiling at the sound of the applause and the energetic waves from her mother. She heard the enthused cheers from Elena and the girls and even her fellow dancers. The music started to play and Grace came alive.

_I hope you never lose your sense of wonder._

_You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger._

_May you never take one single breath for granted._

_God forbid love ever leave you empty handed._

_I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean._

_Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens._

_Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance._

_And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance._

_I hope you dance._

_I hope you dance._

This song was by far Grace's favorite. Maybe she just loved the simple lyrics and melody or perhaps it was because it reminded her of her father. Whenever they were at a party, he would ask her to dance with him. Since she was much smaller than he was, she'd stand on his feet and place her tiny hands in his. He would move them around the floor and when Grace was old enough, she didn't need to stand on his feet anymore. She missed those times and would remember them always. Grace would often wish that she could turn back the clock and do things differently. She'd cherish each moment even more and she'd tell him that she loved him every waking second she spent with him. The lyrics were most powerful to her. Her father always taught her to fight for what she wanted and never give up. He wanted her to grow up and experience all of the wonders that life had to offer and be confident enough in herself not to deny herself the opportunity to really live.

_I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance._

_Never settle for the path of least resistance._

_Livin' might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking._

_Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth making._

_Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter._

_When you come close to selling out, reconsider._

_Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance._

_And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance._

_I hope you dance._

_I hope you dance._

The dancer twirled gracefully over the worn wooden floor, pouring every ounce of emotion into her piece. Arms flowed with the gentle cadence of the song while her legs cut through the air when she leaped. Grace worked hard on it and wanted to give a full out performance. She was dancing for her father after all. She wanted to make him proud of her and she wanted him to know that she thought of him all time and that she missed him so much. She gave a quick glance to her mother to see that her eyes were watery but she had the biggest smile on her face. Diana grieved everyday for her husband, but she knew that Grace was hit the hardest by the loss of her father. For years she stopped dancing, even music made her frustrated. Her daughter had lost the will to dance and no matter how hard Diana tried and fought with her, she didn't want to dance anymore. She had told her that it reminded her too much of her father. But one day she happened to come into Grace's room to see her tying up her pointe shoes. "I want to dance again, mom." Was her simple reply and just like that, she'd started dancing again.

_I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean._

_Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens._

_Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance._

_And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance._

_Dance._

_I hope you dance._

_I hope you dance._

_I hope you dance._

Her skirts flared around her as she spun before gently fluttering back down again. Her long curls bounced and flew with each movement, adding a sense of carelessness to the piece. At the end of the song, Grace took her final position and for a moment, it was silent in the studio. Not a sound was heard before the audience erupted into applause. A lot of them stood, including Diana who was crying freely now and Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie were jumping up and down excitedly. Grace smiled at the crowd and took her bow, still as graceful as ever. Rising from her curtsey, she happened to meet Mr. Smith's eyes. He was standing and applauding for her as well. She gave him a curt nod, acknowledging him and he did the same to her. The dancer walked off the floor and parents started to leave, gathering up their children and their costumes.

"Hello Grace." The Mayor's wife greeted.

"Mrs. Lockwood! What a nice surprise." The girl nodded.

"You did a wonderful job today. I mean, really, you were magnificent." She complimented generously.

"Thank you." Grace smiled. It was nice to get compliments even though she already knew she was a great dancer.

"I'm actually here because The Miss Mystic Falls Pageant is soon and I need someone to teach the couples a traditional dance." She proposed. "I'd be willing to pay you for your time."

"Oh, that's not necessary." The dancer shook her head.

"Nonsense. You'd be doing me a favor and I think the contestants would really enjoy you." Carol smiled.

"Well, sure. I'll take the job." Grace didn't know what she was getting herself into. Sure, she knew couples dancing, but she had no idea about traditional dancing. Oh well, at least she'd be getting extra cash in her pocket. She was sure that Mrs. Lockwood would pay her generously.

"Oh, wonderful! I'll give you a call as soon as I know more details and work out a rehearsal schedule." She and Grace exchanged numbers before leaving, having other business to attend to.

"Well, isn't someone the little dancing queen?" A smooth voice made her turn and she was faced with Damon who was standing as smug as ever.

"Hello Damon." She greeted.

"I never knew you could dance like that." He told her.

"I've been dancing all my life." Grace smiled.

"You're pretty good." The vampire pulled on the lapels of his leather jacket. "Listen, I need to talk–"

"Miss Grace!" A young voice was accompanied by a light tugging on her skirt. Grace looked down to see one of her younger dancers waiting as patiently as she could. The little girl gestured for Grace to come closer to her and she knelt down to her level with a sweet smile.

"Yes, Natalie?"

"Can you tie my tap shoe?" The little blonde dancer asked politely and wiggled her foot, nearly losing her balance. Grace giggled and tapped on her thigh, prompting Natalie to rest her foot there.

"You did very well today." She smiled while looping the ribbon on her shoe. "You should be proud."

"I've been practicing." Natalie's bright blue eyes looked up at Damon and he gave her a little wink. "Is this your boyfriend?"

"No, we're just friends." Grace answered with a laugh and Damon rolled his eyes. She tied the ribbons in a tight double-knotted bow. "You're all finished."

"Thank you, Miss Grace!" She exclaimed and hugged her teacher. "Bye! See you later!" She waved at both Damon and Grace before going off to join her mom.

"She is just adorable." Damon deadpanned.

"Hey! She's one of my student's, so leave her alone." She scolded.

Damon held his hands up in surrender. "Don't look at me like I eat children."

"You eat everything else." Grace crossed her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, but nothing with fur or feathers." The vampire stated but his lips quickly turned into a smirk. "You on the other hand–"

"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" She interjected rudely, not in the mood to hear his snide comments.

"Stefan's having a little bit of a problem." He said quietly.

She raised a curious eyebrow, "What kind of problem."

Damon looked over his shoulder, making sure no ears were around them. "A blood problem. He's starving himself from drinking human blood."

"Maybe it will do him some good. He was out of control the night he killed Frederick." The dancer replied snidely.

"I don't think you get it. When a vampire starves themselves, their need to feed becomes greater and greater until they completely go off the rails and rip someone's head off."

Grace shied away at that, Stefan never seemed like the kind of person to do that. "Come on, it's Stefan we're talking about." She shook her head.

"Saint Stefan will end up losing control, Grace. He might even hurt Elena or someone else." The vampire reasoned.

"Why do you care?" The dancer tilted her head to the side.

"He's my brother." Damon replied simply.

"I mean, I just don't know what I could do to help." She shrugged.

"There's no Guardian voodoo that you could do?"

"Not as far as I know." She wrinkled her nose.

"Alright, then just keep an eye on him." He nodded.

"Will do." She turned to get changed when Damon quickly flashed in front of her. "Yes?"

"I wanted to ask if you had a date to the Founder's Day kick-off party." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"I actually don't." She shook her head. "Why? You're asking?"

"Hmm, I figured Adam would be taking you." It was a little jab and Grace noticed it.

"He's out of town." She frowned and picked at the material of her skirt. She asked him with enough time in advance, but he backed out saying that he had a last minute trip out of town. She guessed it must have been for some kind of Guardian business, but Adam was strangely secretive about it.

"Well, I'd like to take you. You know, so we can all keep an eye on Stefan."

"Oh, of course! Yeah, that works actually." She laughed nervously. She guessed he'd actually ask her, but this was more like a babysitting gig.

"Great, so I'll pick you up at 7:30." The vampire smirked, his demeanor not faltering one bit.

* * *

><p>Grace overlooked herself in the floor length mirror once more while chattering into the phone that was hanging by her ear. Her simple short black dress was tight in the bodice but it flared out from her hips, swishing when she walked. Her bright red pumps gave her ensemble a much needed pop.<p>

_"I'm just really worried about him, Grace."_ Elena told her.

"Listen, Elena. We'll all be there to keep an eye on him. Besides, it's Stefan we're talking about." The Guardian fluffed her hair again.

"_Just, Damon said that he'd go back to normal in a few days and it's been longer than a few days."_

"Have more faith in Stefan. He'll be okay." She said and fixed her red lipstick. "You just have to let him know that you'll be by his side no matter what. You two are practically meant for each other."

"_Yeah, yeah, I need to have more faith in him."_ The girl nodded. _"Thanks, Grace!"_

"Anytime, kiddo! So, you're going with Stefan tonight?" She asked.

"_Mmhmm, I'll see you and Adam there."_ She chattered.

"Oh, uhm, he's out of town, so I'm going with Damon." There were a few beats of silence from the other end of the phone and for a moment, Grace thought that the call was dropped. "Elena?"

"Sorry, I was doing something." She evaded. "But, you're going with Damon?"

"Yep, he asked and we're just going as friends." The doorbell rang from downstairs and the Guardian jogged down the steps. "Listen, I gotta go because he's here to pick me up. I'll see you there."

"_But–"_ The phone clicked off as Grace slipped it into her purse and checked herself once more in the hallway mirror. Once she was pleased with her appearance, she opened the door to see Damon looking as smug as ever. Grace had to hand it to him; the man did know how to look dashingly handsome in a suit.

"Hello, Grace." He purred. "May I come in? Oh, wait…I'm already invited in." He hopped over the threshold and wiggled his eyebrows down at her.

"Don't forget, that invitation can always be revoked." She sang and closed the door behind him.

"Sticks and stones, feathers." The vampire chuckled at his nickname for her.

"Grace! Is that you?" Diana called from the living room.

"Yeah, mom! I'm leaving for the kickoff party." Grace replied and her mom walked into the room.

"Miss Clark, it's a pleasure to meet you." Damon smiled charmingly and shook her hand. Grace nearly wanted to roll her eyes on how quickly Damon was able to turn on his humanity. "I'm Damon."

Diana took his hand and shook it firmly. "Yes, Grace has told me about you. You are Stefan's brother."

"Don't hold that against me." He joked and Grace actually did roll her eyes that time. Her mother let out a little giggle and kissed Grace's cheek.

"You two go and have a nice time. I won't keep you." She opened the door and ushered them out.

* * *

><p>"Oh god, I shouldn't be here." Stefan bellyached as he, Damon, and Grace walked up the front steps to the Founder's Hall.<p>

"You don't have to do this, Stefan." Grace consoled.

"Come on, don't be a downer." Damon interjected. "It's a party for the Founding families. That would be us. It would be rude of us to skip this party."

"I really liked you a whole lot better when you hated everybody." The vampire mumbled.

"Oh, I still do. I just love that they love me." Damon smirked.

"How are you feeling, Stefan?" Grace asked.

"I'm good. I'm fine." He nodded.

"No cravings? No urges? Is that whiskey you've been drinking all day doing its job?" Damon quipped and clapped his younger brother on the back. "We are who we are, Stefan. Nothing's gonna change that."

"Don't listen to him." The Guardian shook her head and took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

"I'm going to go find Elena." Stefan quickly took his leave and Grace could feel his tense energy rolling off his shoulders in waves.

"Don't embarrass me, young man." Damon chided.

"He's a mess inside." Grace remarked as she made her way through the throngs of people.

"Just keep handing him whiskey. He'll be fine." The blue eyed vampire shrugged, ordering a glass of bourbon for himself.

Grace's eyes ran over the crowd and she could see lots of people just bopping their heads politely to the music. She frowned and wrinkled her nose that the DJ didn't have better music. It never made any sense to her that people didn't pick better DJ's for their occasions; however Carol was the one who planned the party, so she probably wanted it to be perfectly elegant and utterly boring. "No one is dancing."

"Maybe their looking for someone to get them started." Damon offered.

"Maybe people would if they played something better than…this." She gestured to the booth and the DJ didn't even look he was having a good time. In the midst of the party, Stefan and Elena found their way over to them.

"Hi guys!" Elena smiled, but not without giving Damon a look.

"Great party." Stefan added but Grace shook her head.

"Lemme see if I can try and request a song." She darted over to the booth and patiently waited for the DJ to look at her. Unfortunately, he couldn't really be bothered, so she cleared her throat quite loudly and he turned over his shoulder. "Hi, can I request a song?"

"No," His answer was brief and sharp, much like his chilling attitude.

"Why not?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Carol wants the music like this, so it'll stay like this." He shrugged and Grace huffed.

"Excuse me," Stefan's voice made her turn. "Are we having a problem here?" Before the obnoxious DJ could answer, Stefan immediately compelled him. "You are to play fun music and if Carol asks why this changed, tell her that the guests were bored." The DJ nodded and changed up the music to something more upbeat and Grace looked curiously at him. "What? I was bored too."

"You don't like to dance." She shook her head, a little amused smile graced her lips.

The younger Salvatore shrugged, "Elena wanted to dance, so I want to make sure that she has a good time tonight."

"That's really sweet of you, Stefan." She knew that Stefan was a good guy, but he _was_ a vampire. That night he killed Frederick was absolutely horrifying. It was like he had no control over himself. Stefan must have picked up on the fact that she was suddenly so guarded against him and he frowned.

"I'm sorry about what happened the other night, Grace." He told her. "I was just so blind with rage and I didn't want Frederick hurting Elena."

Grace nodded and smiled back at him, "I understand that. You're just trying to keep her safe. I know you're having a hard time with cravings, but I can help if you need me to."

"Thanks, Grace, but I'm feeling okay now." Grace still wasn't convinced since she felt his energy, but she'd make sure to keep an eye on him. The vampire looked over his shoulder to see Elena beckoning him to go over and dance with her.

"Go on. Have fun." The brunette nudged Stefan and he jogged over to his love. Grace then took a seat over by the bar, hopping up on a stool and ordering a glass of white wine. She reached into her purse to tip the bartender, but a gentle hand on her shoulder made her halt her movement.

"I'll get that." Mr. Smith pulled money from his own pocket, much more than necessary for a glass of wine.

"Mr. Smith, I can pay for my own drinks." She said coyly and he perched himself on the stool beside her.

"Please, allow me." He was dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt underneath, looking very dapper indeed. "Consider it congratulation for your work today."

"Well, thank you very much." She raised her glass, toasting him. "I saw you in the audience."

"I said that I would be there." He smiled, his oak eyes twinkling. "You were exceptional as usual."

"Thank you, Mr. Smith." Grace blushed.

"Please, call me Elijah. Actually, Miss Clark, I am here to speak to you about something very important that I think you'll find most intriguing." Elijah leaned in a little closer to her, leaning one arm on the bar.

"Does it concern a one-way ticket out of Mystic Falls and a dancing career?" She joked, but Elijah didn't laugh with her.

"It concerns your father." His voice was solemn and it made Grace's stomach drop.

"What do you know about my father?" She asked in a low whisper.

"I know that he was a Guardian." Elijah spoke.

Grace laughed nervously and shook her head. "Elijah, what are you–"

"Miss Clark, I know very well of the existence of Guardians. Like your father, you are one as well. I am also well educated about vampires and I even know that you aware that I am one." His voice was quiet and the Guardian felt herself become overwhelmed that he had sniffed her out before she could call him out on it. "I consider myself a historian of sorts." He coined the term loosely and Grace fiddled with her glass.

"I just recently learned about everything. The real truth. So, I'm sorry if I seem _uncomfortable_." She stressed.

"I understand," Something in the distance caught his eye and he promptly jumped down off the stool.

"Wait!" She called and he stopped. "What can you tell me about him? My father."

Elijah seemed to think it over for a moment, pursing his lips. "You shall no everything when the time is right. Goodnight, Miss Clark." He took his leave and Grace let out a long sigh. She hated feeling like she was a child and couldn't know everything she wanted to know.

"Goodnight, Elijah." She pouted and turned back to her drink.

"You know that little Gilbert is asking questions about Vicki Donavon's death?" Damon slid into the seat next to her and Grace almost didn't want to answer him.

"Everyone knows that her death was ruled as an overdose." She replied, taking a rather large sip of wine.

"Really? "Oh, but sheriff, someone buried her. Who would do that?" I know! I know! Me!" Damon was doing his crap impression of Jeremy and Grace didn't want to be a part of it.

"Just compel him again, Damon. Maybe you're losing you touch." She remarked snidely and the vampire narrowed his eyes at her.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" He growled. "Besides, Jeremy is on vervain now."

"Just do what you think is best." She ignored him and gestured to the bartender for a refill.

Damon overlooked her poor posture and the muscle in her jaw that was tensed, something was up with her. Her grip on her glass was unbearably tight and she was tapping her foot angrily against the bar. "That dance you did today, it was for your father." It wasn't a question or an assumption.

The Guardian's eyes finally met his, a frown painting her features. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." The vampire shrugged and he plucked a deep red rose from a vase near the wall.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him." Grace nearly wanted to smack herself that she was pouring her heart and soul out to a vampire that didn't give a damn about anyone but himself, however Damon seemed to be surprisingly open tonight.

"I know." He lifted the rose to his nose, taking a quick whiff. "But he would have been proud of you today."

Grace looked back at the normally sadistic vampire and felt herself warming up to him. Perhaps it was all an act, but it was nice that he was acting like he was caring. "Thank you, Damon."

"And you didn't think you'd have a good time with me." He smirked while ordering himself a drink.

"Alright, I'll admit. You're not a bad date." Grace giggled.

"Neither are you." He presented her with the rose and she took it in her hand, smiling back at him. Perhaps this evening would turn out to be better than she anticipated.

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><p><strong>Just a little filler, but please review!<strong>


	20. Under Control part 2

**Wee hee! Another chapter out for you guys! Very excited that finals are almost finished and I'm looking forward to Christmas and the holidays :) Thanks everyone for the lovely reviews on the last chapter.**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p>Damon Salvatore was feeling more than comfortable that he snapped Jonathan Gilbert's neck, ridding himself of one more thorn in his side. He knew that Elena's uncle John had been kicking it with the Founder's Council and that was a cause for worry. That was the problem with living in Mystic Falls, if you knew too much, your neck gets snapped. John knew about the tomb incident in 1864 and proclaimed that this new vampire business was history repeating itself. He was lounging around with other party guest when he saw Grace leaning against the wall, a glass of wine in her hand. This was the most out of place he'd seen her. The party was in full swing now, couples were dancing and drinks were being poured, but the young Guardian was nearly hugging the wall like a wall flower. She wasn't smiling at all, she was just watching the people dance, but Damon knew that she wanted to dance desperately. He identified with the sadness she felt from the loss of her father although he hated his father, he lost his mother at a young age and his life was never the same. He wanted to whisk her out onto the dance floor and make her forget all of her cares even if it was only a couple of moments. The vampire was ready to make his move, but his blue eyes flashed with confusion when he saw someone step beside Grace.<p>

Jonathan Gilbert.

The Guardian greeted him with a smile and an embrace. She'd known him since she and Elena were little; however the last time they'd seen each other was at the funeral of Elena's parents. Damon growled low in his throat, but was beyond confused on how John Gilbert was able to come back from the dead. He definitely snapped his neck, he could still hear the deafening crack in his ears and if that didn't kill him, the fall from the balcony would have.

"You got to be kidding me." The vampire hissed and darted off to find Alaric just as Carol addressed the crowd. John Gilbert then was called up to speak and Damon joined Alaric's side. "Look at his right hand."

The vampire hunter raised a questioning eyebrow at the vampire. "Who's?"

"Towns favorite son. Look at his ring." He replied.

Alaric looked at the ring that was resting on John's finger and his eyes widened. "Well, it looks like mine."

"Yeah, and that would be a big coincidence if he didn't just came back from the death 5 minutes ago. Where the hell did you get that ring?" Damon asked.

"Isobel, my wife." Alaric was stunned.

"Who gave birth to Elena, under the medical of esteemed Dr. Grayson Gilbert. John's brother." Damon pieced everything together. "Isobel was also Grace's aunt too."

"Do you think John knew Isobel?" Alaric asked as he looked between John and Grace.

"I think John knows a lot of things." Damon nodded.

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><p>Grace suddenly felt someone grasp her upper arm and pull her towards the dance floor. She looked up to see Damon holding her and placing her glass of wine in the hands of another guest.<p>

"You interrupted my drink." She giggled.

Damon slipped a hand on her hips and held her hand, moving them together to the beat of the song. "Well, you were looking a little lonely standing against the wall."

"I was enjoying being by myself." She shrugged and placed a hand on his broad shoulder.

"But you have such a devilishly handsome date. Wouldn't you want to show him off?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Grace actually found herself laughing out loud at the joke he cracked, perhaps the wine was doing its job of making her loosen up. "I can practically feel all of the eyes of every single woman in Mystic Falls on my back."

"I don't blame them. You're a lucky girl, Grace. In more ways than one." The vampire smiled and twirled her out. The dancer gracefully fluttered her arm; she always knew that ballroom dancing class would come in handy. She spun back in to Damon and he romantically dipped her. One hand supported her lower back while the other held her waist. Grace leaned her head back, letting go for a moment and her hand brushed the floor before Damon pulled her up again to spin her again. Coming back in, her chest was pressed tightly against Damon's and she was frozen in time with him. He held her tightly and smiled to himself, accomplishing his mission of making her have a little fun.

"You've got some moves." She smiled brightly. "I never knew you danced."

"Surprised?" He questioned.

"A little."

"Well, come on. Let's see some of your moves then." He challenged with those striking blue eyes. Grace let go of Damon and swiveled her hips, sambaing on the floor as a Latin beat came through the speakers. The vampire watched her hungrily and smirked widely. She managed to shuffle and cha-cha in her impossibly high heels, making it look too easy, and the hem of her dress flared a little as she turned. Damon pulled her back into him, moving with her and he kept up wonderfully as per Grace's surprise. This was the most fun Grace had in a long time and she didn't want the night to stop.

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><p><em>Vampires.<em>

The word rang out in Jeremy's brain so loud that he was sure other people could hear him, but was completely alone in the Gilbert house. Elena's diary in his hands had just confirmed all of his suspicions of supernatural creatures in Mystic Falls. He knew that Vicki Donavon's death wasn't a drug overdose, which was just a cover-up for what really happened. What bugged him the most was that his older sister blatantly lied to him about all of this. Elena swore to him that she'd tell him if there was anything more to Vicki's death, but she flat out lied to him. Just as his anger was taking a hold on him, his eyes caught another name on the page.

_Grace_.

Jeremy narrowed his eyes and read on. He knew that Grace wasn't a vampire, but why was she in Elena's diary? He read about how Elena finally knew how Grace felt since now that she had lost both of her parents and admired Grace for how easily she'd managed to fool people into thinking that she was okay.

'_As if Mystic Falls didn't have enough problems. First, Damon and Stefan are vampires, but now there are Guardian's too! I don't really know what they are but Grace is one. Ever since that guy Adam came into town, Grace has been spending a lot of her time with him. They are both Guardian's and he's helping Grace with her powers.'_

The teenager had enough. He threw Elena's diary down in a fit of anger. He thought of Grace as an older sister and even she was hiding things from him. Why was everyone keeping secrets from him? It just wasn't fair! He really loved Vicki and she was taken away from him by vampires. Blood sucking, human killing vampires. His anger subsided temporarily and he placed Elena's diary back where he'd found it, making sure his sister didn't know that he was snooping around in her room. He jogged back to his room and switched on his laptop. He didn't know what Guardian's were, but he'd find out.

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><p>The Founder's kick-off party was coming to a close and Grace giggled as she stumbled her way back from the bathroom. She and Damon had taken a break from dancing since he wanted to check on Stefan. She was walking down the hall when she heard muffled shouting from a room in the interior of Founder's Hall. The Guardian walked on the tips of her toes, making sure her heels wouldn't clunk against the hardwood floor and she finally reached a door that was half cracked open. Inside, she could see Tyler sitting on the edge of a plush chair and Grace then saw Mayor Lockwood pacing the floor. Tyler was looking ashamed while his father looked outraged.<p>

"What the hell were you thinking?" Richard scolded and Tyler visibly flinched.

"Dad, I'm sorry." Tyler spoke. Grace listened closer, trying to hear and make out what they could be arguing about. "I don't even know what happened. I was drinking and…I lost control. I can't explain it." His father suddenly lurched forward and slapped Tyler across the face so hard that Grace jumped back from her post at the door. She never thought that the Mayor would ever raise his hands to his son, but something must have made him so mad to actually hit Tyler. As Grace tried to keep herself quiet, she was hit with flashes of visions. She saw Matt Donavan fist fighting with Tyler while Kelly, Matt's mom, was trying to pull her son off Tyler.

"That is the last time you ever embarrass this family." Mayor Lockwood's voice brought Grace out of her visions and he strode towards the door. The Guardian hid in the shadows of the hallway and the Mayor walked right past her like a ship in the night. Once Richard was out of sight, Grace pushed open the door to see Tyler nursing his cheek.

"Ty?" She called and he looked up at her. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head before slamming his fist on the arm of the chair. "No, I'm not okay." He growled and stood.

"I am so sorry." The Guardian felt his anger, it was almost overwhelming. It came off of him and heated Grace's skin, nearly burning her.

"I hate my dad." Tyler snarled. "I _hate_ him!" His fist shot out and punched the wall behind him. The force of it was so strong that the paintings rattled, one of them even fell off of its hook and crashed to the floor.

"Tyler…"

"He gets me so mad that I wanna kill him!" Tyler was in front of Grace now and his anger struck fear into her heat. His fists were clenched at his sides and Grace gently took his bruised hand in hers. His knuckles were red and inflamed and her fingertips gently brushed over them.

"It's okay, Tyler. It will be okay." She consoled him. Glowing amber sparks tingled from her fingertips and warmed his bruised skin.

Tyler wanted to pull away, but he was amazed at what was happening to him. "What the hell…?" Grace held his hand as his hand healed and she was even able to take away some of his excess anger. She watched his entire body relax, the muscles weren't as tense as they were before and the warmth soothed him. The sparks dissipated and Tyler took his hand back to see that his knuckles were alleviated from any pain. He looked back at Grace who was smiling sweetly. "How did you…?"

Grace lifted a finger to her lips, "Shh, don't tell anyone." She normally was very strict on hiding her powers, but tonight she wanted to help Tyler. She typically stayed away from Tyler; something about him always bothered her, however tonight she felt empathy for him. He was still speechless, looking down at his hand and Grace giggled quietly. She imagined that she looked the same way when Adam healed her for the first time. With Tyler stunned, she took her leave, trying to find her date. Damon was her ride home after all.

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><p>"Thanks again for tonight, Damon." Grace smiled as Damon walked her up to her front door. "I had a really nice time."<p>

Damon smiled too, ushering her to her doorstep with a hand on her lower back. "I'm glad I gave Adam a run for his money." He smirked and Grace gave a little frown.

"It's not a competition." She shook her head.

"So, what's with his mysterious trip out of town?" He asked curiously.

Grace shrugged and dug around for her keys in her purse. "He just told me he had to leave for a little while. He didn't really say why."

The vampire pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, very odd."

"You're telling me." She sighed and swung her key ring on her index finger. "Maybe it's some Guardian business."

"Could be." Damon stuffed his hands into his suit jacket pocket and rocked on the balls of his feet.

Grace put the key in the lock and turned it, hearing it unlock. Her moms' car wasn't in the driveway, so she was pretty much along for the night. She just hated being home alone; it always gave her an eerie feeling. "Would you like to come in for a little while?" She asked and the vampire smiled.

"I'd like that." He pushed open the front door, ushering Grace inside. She tossed her purse on the end table by the door and kicked off her shoes.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" She offered and hoped that he wouldn't say blood.

"Bourbon, if you have it." He grinned and she rolled her eyes.

"Do I look like a heavy drinker to you?" Grace shook her head.

"Fine." Damon pouted. "Water." The Guardian nodded and walked into the kitchen, switching on lights along the way. The vampire shuffled around the living room and shrugged off his suit jacket, making himself more comfortable. He tossed it on the back of the couch and found himself looking at some photographs in the room. One frame held a photo of Grace, her mother and father. Little Grace was dressed in a frilly purple recital costume and was smiling from ear to ear. She was on her father's shoulders and her mother was standing beside him. Damon smiled to himself, the perfect happy family, he thought to himself. He heard footsteps come back into the room and turned over his shoulder but it wasn't Grace.

It was her mother.

Diana was holding a gun her hand, clutching it tightly and aimed at Damon. "You shouldn't be here." She growled and didn't give Damon the chance to move as she pulled the trigger.

"Mom, no!" Grace's voice entered Damon's ear just as the bullet entered his chest. Diana let some more rounds go and the vampire felt vervain ebbing through his veins. He groaned as the vervain stung him, making him weak and he was just able to see Grace fighting her mother for the gun before his eyes shut.

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><p><strong>Uh oh, looks like Diana knew that Damon was a vampire! Please review :D<strong>


	21. Miss Mystic Falls part 1

**Another little chapter for you guys! Thanks for all of the amazing reviews and for being so patient with my spaced out updates.**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p>Grace didn't allow herself a moment to think as she jumped at her mother. She was trying to wrestle the gun from her hands without firing it. Finally getting a good grip on it, she yanked it from Diana's hands and disarmed it, making sure the bullets were released from their chamber.<p>

"What the hell are you doing, mom?" Grace hollered.

"He's a vampire, Grace!" Diana clenched her fists at her sides. "You invited him in?!"

"He's my friend! Damon is my friend!" The Guardian fought back and she ran towards the fallen vampire hearing him groan out.

"Leave him, Grace." Her mother spoke firmly.

"No," She knelt down to his side and gently opened up the buttons of his shirt. Her mom had pretty good aim and had done a lot of damage. Dark red blood was everywhere, on his shirt, on his skin, and even some of it was making puddles on the floor.

"I said, leave him! He doesn't deserve any mercy for what his kind has done in this town." Her voice was dark and commanding; Grace had never seen this side of her mother before.

"No!" Grace snarled. "He is not the reason for everything that's happened. There are other vampires in this town and they are the ones to blame." A pained groan brought her back to Damon who was squirming on his back. "Shh, it's okay."

"Grace?" He cracked his eyes open a little.

"I'll heal you, Damon." She told him and spread open his shirt even more, showing the bullets that were embedded in his skin. She pressed her hands firmly on his chest and Damon howled out. A warm honey colored glow emanated from her hands and it soothed Damon's open wounds. The vampire felt the pain slowly dissipate until all he could feel was numbing warmth throughout his entire body. Grace watched the bullets disintegrate into nothing and the skin stitch itself back together. Diana watched on, never seeing her daughter use her powers before and was in awe of the stunningly beautiful white wings that had emerged from her back. The Guardian pulled her hands back and the glimmer of light went with it. Damon's skin was completely healed, but he was still weak. He looked up at her and reached a hand out to touch the white feathers that were curled around her back, she guessed that her wings had come out when she tackled her mother and didn't even realize it.

"Do not touch her!" Diana growled from the corner of the room.

"Mom!" Grace scolded and helped Damon off the floor. She slung his arm around her shoulders, being mindful of her wings. The vampire shook weakly against her and sent a deadly glare to the woman that shot him. Grace scowled too before turning them and moving towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" She hissed.

"I'm bringing him home." Grace replied and threw open the front door.

"Grace! Come back here!" Diana demanded but she was met with the door in her face before she could even storm after them.

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><p>"Was your mom a sniper by any chance?" Damon wondered as Grace led him up the front steps of the boarding house. "Because she got me good."<p>

Grace sighed and adjusted Damon's hold on her as she nudged the front door open. "I'm so sorry about all of this. I would have let you stay at my place, but I'm sure my mom would have tried to kill you in your sleep." A fire roared to life in the fireplace with a quick sweep of Grace's hand and she sat Damon on the couch. "Tell me what I can get you."

"Blood. There's a cooler downstairs." Damon groaned. She quickly darted off, jogging down the steps and to her horror; she saw empty blood bags strewn all over the floor. She threw open the lid to the cooler and peered inside, it was completely empty. She reported back to Damon who muttered the name of his brother under his breath.

"What else can I do for you?" She asked and sat beside him.

"I'd ask you to rob a blood bank, but I think that's a little extreme." He shook his head.

"You think?" She remarked.

"I'm so hungry." Damon moaned and Grace found herself offering her wrist to the weary vampire. "Grace?"

"Please drink, Damon." She begged. "You need your strength."

"I can't." He shook his head and Grace lifted the sleeve of her long sleeve shirt up and pressed her wrist against his lips.

"You have to." She spoke firmly and Damon took her wrist in his hand, cradling it gently. His nose nudged along the pale skin and bluish veins that rested just beneath, the smell of her was assaulting his nostrils. Her scent was sweet, Damon couldn't quite put his finger on a particular smell, but she was sweet nonetheless. His fangs poked impatiently against his lips and he bit into her skin, his hunger becoming too much to control. Even though he tried to be somewhat gentle, Grace still let out a pained gasp and her body tensed up. It hurt and it felt even stranger to actually feel her blood leaving her body. Damon drank slowly and in moderation, he knew better than to guzzle down blood, but he was fighting pretty hard. If he thought she smelled sweet, she tasted even sweeter. She was refreshing and absolutely delicious. A whimper from Grace brought him back to reality and he immediately pulled back. Little dribbles of blood still oozed from the wound and Damon lapped it up with his tongue like how a cat would with cream. "Ow."

"Are you alright?" The vampire breathed and swiped a droplet of blood from his lips with his thumb. She nodded and cradled her wrist. "Here, take some blood."

Damon handed her his wrist and she immediately shied away. "No. I don't want it." She applied pressure to the wound and Damon was suddenly gone from the couch. He blurred back with a medical kit and started to bandage her hand. He eyed the wound and pursed his lips.

"It's not too deep. A little bit of my blood would heal that right up." He offered.

Grace frowned and watched him apply some healing cream. "I don't wanna take any chances." She spoke.

"Well, I don't think anyone would be killing you anytime soon." Damon chortled and she glared at him.

"It's Mystic Falls, Damon." She grumbled.

The vampire sighed and rolled his eyes as he wrapped the bandage around the bite mark. "That's true."

Grace stood up from the couch and wobbled slightly, hoping Damon wouldn't catch it. "This has been fun and all, but I have to-" Her eyes crossed and her vision grew blurry.

"Woah!" Damon rose and stood behind her, trying to keep her body steady. "Easy, Grace. You can't go anywhere."

"I'm fine. Besides, my mom will worry." She shook her head but that did nothing to help clear her head. If anything, that made it worse.

Damon scowled and picked up the weak Guardian. "Your mom just shot a vampire. She'll be fine."

"Shut up." She grumbled and leaned against him as he took her upstairs. Three doors down, he stopped at one on the right side of the hall and nudged it open. Grace could make out a large king sized bed, a fire place built into the far wall and some bookcases lining the walls. "This. This is your room?"

"Yep. You should consider yourself lucky, feathers. Only a few special handful of women get to see my room." He smirked and gently placed her down on the bed.

"Gross." She held her head as it throbbed.

"You flatter me." The vampire turned on his heel and gathered some clothes to have her change into. "You can shower in the adjoining bathroom. You want me to help you?" He asked cautiously as he could see Grace's eyes spinning around in their sockets, unable to focus on anything.

"Why? So you can sneak a peak?" She hissed and tried to stand on her own. With a huff, Damon threw her over his shoulder and carried her to the bathroom. "No! Damon, please put me down!" She beat at his back. "If you're going to carry me, at least do it the right way!" Damon ignored her and turned on the shower. Hot steam filled the room and clouded the mirror. "I'm going to throw up on you if you don't-" Grace's feet met the floor and the water from the shower head drowned her clothes and hair.

"Shower." He ordered gruffly and closed the glass door to the shower.

"Don't look!" Grace spat water at him.

"Grace. Shower now or else I'll shower you." His threat made her glare back at him and she turned her back. She tossed off her shirt and grimaced as she wiggled out of her wet pants. She knew that Damon was getting a laugh at seeing her completely naked. As she reached for the shampoo, she happened to look over her shoulder to see that Damon was nowhere to be found.

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><p>The raven haired vampire snuck back into the boarding house and gently placed a duffel bag filled with clothes on his bedroom floor. He'd taken the liberty and courage to go back to Grace's home and take some clothes from her room to bring them here. Who knew how long she'd be staying at the boarding house, so Damon just took one of her large duffels and stuffed it with things she might need during her stay. He didn't see her mother at all, it looked like she had left the house and for that, Damon was grateful that he didn't have to dodge any bullets.<p>

Grace was sleeping soundly in his bed, her body was all wrapped up in the mass of blankets and her damp hair was sprawled around her head like a halo. Damon chuckled at that, she did have wings, so she looked the part. The vampire ghosted the back of his hand over her cheek and she stirred slightly, not fully waking up. He stripped off his clothes and threw on a pair of grey sweatpants before climbing into the other side of the bed. As he pulled the covers over him, Grace turned in her sleep to face him. He watched her closely as she dreamt, he was almost amused by it since he barely dreamt anymore. Damon tucked a curl behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, Grace."

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><p>The morning came much too early for Grace as she buried herself further under the covers. Once she was plunged in darkness, she took in the scents around her. She abruptly sat up, falling out of the bed and tumbled to the floor. Her eyes darted around wildly. This was not her room. Then she remembered last night with Damon and her mother.<p>

"Feathers? What are you doing on the floor?" Damon asked teasingly as he traipsed into the room with two mugs in his hands.

"I...I forgot where I was for a moment." She stammered and clamored back up into the tall bed.

Damon sat on the edge of the bed and passed her a cup of coffee. "I took some clothes from your house last night and brought them over. I didn't know how long you'd be staying for." He took a sip of steaming hot blood from his mug.

"You went back?!" She asked incredulously and he nodded.

"You so owe me." He grumbled and nodded to the duffle bag by the end table.

"Thanks, Damon." She walked over to it and picked out some clothes. The Guardian was ready to get dressed, but she looked to Damon who was still sitting there. "Uh,"

"What?" The vampire threw his hands up in surrender.

"Get out!" Grace threw one of her pointe shoes at him and he easily dodged it.

"Alright! Fine!" He decided to settle for going into the bathroom and closing the door, giving Grace her privacy.

"Damn vampires." She shimmied her sweatpants up her legs.

"I heard that!" Damon's voice came through the door and she rolled her eyes.

"It was meant for you to hear." Grace sighed and threw off one of Damon's shirts that she had commandeered last night after her impromptu shower. Very quickly, she threw on a bra and t-shirt just as Damon stepped out of the bathroom shirtless. "God! Must you always walk around shirtless?"

"What's the matter, Grace? Is this bothering you?" He gestured to his shirtless chest and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"No, it doesn't bother me, but your cockiness does." She handed Damon back his clothes, trying not to stare at his chest.

"So, what's on your agenda for today?" He asked as he took the clothes and dumped them on his dresser before grabbing a new shirt from one of the drawers.

"I'm actually off today." She smiled. "But I have to choreograph that Miss Mystic Falls dance for the pageant."

"I know how to do it." Damon was smug about it as he buttoned up his shirt.

"You learned it in 1864?" The Guardian smiled and hopped back up on his bed, fiddling with her phone.

"Yep. Although I never got to actually dance it. Katherine went as Stefan's date." She could practically hear the sadness in his voice.

"Well, maybe you'll get another chance one day." Grace offered with a sincere smile.

Damon returned the smile, but he was a little pained thinking of Stefan waltzing around with Katherine while he stood idly by. "Yeah, maybe. Listen, I've got a council meeting, so I can trust you not to burn down the house?"

The Guardian looked to him and rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Damon."

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><p>Grace held her cell phone up to her ear as lounged on Damon's bed. There really wasn't much to do in the boarding house since Stefan was at school and Damon was at a council meeting. She perused through the Salvatore library but found nothing of interest so she settled for texting Adam who had called her soon after. "So, tell me all about your trip." She asked excitedly. "We didn't have time to talk about because you left so quickly."<p>

_"It's going really well."_ Adam smiled. _"Yeah, I'm sorry that I had jet so soon."_

"It's okay. You had to do what you had to do. Was it Guardian stuff?" She eyed her toenails and frowned. She was in desperate need of a pedicure.

_"You could say that."_ He spoke.

"Listen, I've got some great news." Grace bubbled with a wide smile. "Mrs. Lockwood asked me to teach the traditional dance for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant."

_"Wow! That's great, Grace! Paid gig?"_ Adam asked her.

"Hell yeah! And I can use that money to buy a dress for the pageant. You'll be able to see the dance when you take me." She rolled around on Damon's bed.

_"Oh, uhm, there might be a little problem with that."_ Adam interjected and Grace went quiet. _"I might not be able to take you."_

"What? Why not?" The younger Guardian asked sadly.

_"I have some business to take care of here."_ He told her.

"But you knew about this months ago." She frowned.

_"I know, Grace, but this is important to me."_ Adam spoke.

"And this is important to me." Her anger rose slightly.

_"I promise that I'll make it up to you when I get back."_ He was trying to assuage her, but it wasn't working.

"Don't bother, Adam. Continue with your secret Guardian business that you can't tell me about." She spat and just as she was about to hang up, she heard another voice over the phone.

_"Adam, come on. Get off the phone."_ A female voice made her blood boil even more.

"Who is that?" She asked heatedly.

_"It's no one."_ He dismissed it immediately.

"You know what? I'm done with the lies and the secrets." Grace growled. "Call me when you want to stop." She promptly hung up the phone and tossed it aside. Adam called back multiple time and texted as well, but she didn't reply. Grace let some tears streak down her cheeks but she quickly wiped them away. She wouldn't let herself cry over some guy.

From downstairs, she heard two voices arguing. A man and a woman. One of them was Damon's but she couldn't place the other one, but her aura was telling her that it was a vampire. They were really going at it and talking about blood being stolen from a hospital. The blood bank was completely robbed, not a single blood bag left. Grace tuned out their conversation a little while after and stuck her ear buds in her ears. She needed to get working on choreographing this dance and she needed to find the perfect song.

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><p>"Okay! Ladies and gents, get with your respective dance partners." Grace said coming into the cafeteria of the high school. "Mrs. Lockwood asked me to teach the dance you will perform at the pageant." She explained and all the couples paired up. "Now, this dance is really traditional. It starts off by having the couples not touching at all." That remark received some sniggers from the guys and she giggled too. "I know, it's weird, but think about it. Back then when this pageant was first created, the rules of society were very different. You couldn't kiss your girlfriend in public because people were always watching you. It was considered to be improper." Grace clapped her hands together, "Alright! Let's get started. Right hand around first."<p>

The couples stood across from one another and held up their right hands. They circled around each other. "This is ridiculous." Elena giggled as she danced with Stefan.

"Remember, no touching." Grace instructed as she walked between the couples. "The idea is about the intimacy of near touch. Left hand around now."

"You're only saying that because you don't know how to do it." Stefan chuckled and held up his left hand, circling around Elena.

"Now both hands. Great job, everyone!" The dancer smiled. This was going a lot better than she thought.

"Sorry that only one of us was around when the dance was invented." Elena teased and Stefan scowled playfully.

"Ouch!" He quickly grabbed her hand and spun her around.

"Woah!" She shrieked out as he dipped her.

Grace giggled at the pair, happy that they were in a good place after Stefan's blood problem. "Easy, Stef. That part comes later." She joked and clapped loudly, getting everyone's attention. "Actually, let me use Stefan for a demonstration. You all are doing great, but I want you to watch the waltzing portion of this dance."

"Don't embarrass me too much, okay?" Stefan quipped and Grace chuckled as they got into a waltzing position.

"Now, boys, you want to hold your partners gently with one arm higher up on the waist and hold her other hand." Stefan did just that and an electrical shock passed through Grace's hand.

_She was in the basement of the boarding house. It was dark and damp with only a few dim lights around to pierce through the darkness. Grace heard the sounds of sucking and moaning and she quietly moved through the basement. She squinted and was able to see a man hunched over a large metal cooler. He leaned his head back and let out a long groan before tossing what was in his hands to the floor. Grace eyed the item and her eyes grew wide seeing that it was a drained blood bag. Now appearing in front of the man, Grace watched as Stefan ruthlessly ripped off the top of another blood bag and drained it in mere seconds. His mouth was dripping with crimson liquid but it didn't seem to bother him. He continued to drink until he was sucking on an empty bag. Once again he grabbed another bag and didn't even bother ripping the tab open. Instead, he just used his fangs to pierce the bag._

"Grace? Are you okay?" Stefan's voice suddenly shook her and she stared back up at him. She had to blink a few times to get the image of Stefan's bloody face out of her head.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I, uh, zoned out." She tried to smile, but that vision freaked her out. She knew that Stefan had a blood problem, but now it was true that Stefan was getting worse. That must have been what Damon was talking about with that girl the other day at the boarding house. Stefan robbed the blood bank and he was now addicted to blood.

This was not good.

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><p><strong>Hmm, so Grace knows that Stefan robbed the bank. Will she tell Elena? Will she try to help? And what's up with Adam suddenly blowing Grace off? What secrets is he hiding from her?<strong>

**Please review :D**


	22. Miss Mystic Falls part 2

**Woo hoo! Another chapter up :) Thanks so much for all of the lovely reviews!**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd (I will possibly be looking for a beta since my lovely and ever so talented, HarleyQuinn88, has gone MIA :( I haven't heard from her since October and if anyone had heard from her, please let me know!)  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p>The young Guardian brushed a shimmery colored eye shadow over Elena's lids and stepped back to admire her work. She smiled and closed up her eye shadow kit. "Perfect. Now we just need a little lipstick." She uncapped a pale pink lipstick and modeled for Elena to part her lips.<p>

"Thanks for helping me." The brunette told her Aunt Jenna and Grace.

"Don't thank me until you're sure your hair isn't gonna burn off." Jenna remarked as she placed the curl in the curling iron and twisted it around.

"Oh, please! You're doing a great job!" Grace smeared some pink over Elena's lips. "I'm used to doing make-up since I was in my first dance competition."

"Well, I appreciate the help from the both of you." Elena smiled. "You know I remember when my mom and I were first applying for this, she was so excited."

Jenna fiddled with a hot curl that fell on Elena's shoulder. "So were you if I recall."

Elena simply shrugged. "I was. She just made it sound like so much fun. Lots has changed since then."

"I hate to break it to you, but it's a little late for cold feet." Jenna spoke.

"I agree with Jenna. Today will be fun. You'll have a good time with Stefan." The Guardian flinched slightly mentioning the vampires name. She still hadn't told anyone about Stefan stealing from the blood bank. Who could she tell? Elena? Damon?

"I guess so." Elena said and peered at her reflection in the mirror. "Oh, isn't Adam your date for today?"

Grace grimaced as she packed her make-up away. "I, uhm, I really don't want to talk about it."

"Why? What's wrong?" The brunette frowned.

"He's...out of town and forgot that he was my date for the pageant." Grace had to pick her words carefully since Aunt Jenna was still in the room.

"Grace, I'm sorry." Elena took the girl's hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

"Ugh, boy troubles?" Jenna chimed in and Grace nodded.

"You don't even know, Aunt Jenna."

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><p>Grace sighed as she took up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. Her nerves were on high since the entire dance was riding on her shoulders and she still didn't know what to do about Stefan. Walking through the grounds, she spotted Damon talking with Anna, so she kept her distance. Her cell phone rang from inside her purse and she grumbled as she pulled it out. It was another text from Adam along with six other voicemails. Grace rolled her eyes and ignored all of his attempts to speak with her. She was finished with all of the lies and secrets from him. And that girl on the other end of the phone, who was she? Was Adam...cheating on her?<p>

A presence at her side made her turn and her brown eyes met Damon's blue ones. His nervous energy added onto hers and she took a long sip of her drink.

"You and I, we need to chat." He gently took her by the upper arm and led her away where they could be alone.

"If it's about Stefan, I know everything." She spoke quietly and his eyes were wide. "I had a vision. He's the one who robbed the hospital." She hushed to him.

Damon growled low in his chest and bit down on his bottom lip, practically seething. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What was I supposed to say? Oh! Hey Damon. By the way, did your brother hijack a blood bank?" She replied snidely and Damon took her by the arm, leading her to where the female contestants were getting dressed. "Jeez! Watch my arm!"

The vampire pushed open the door to see Elena standing there in her long blue gown, she truly looked beautiful. "Hey," She smiled to Grace but passed a glance to Damon. "You can't be back here."

"We need to talk." Damon told her.

"Does it have to be right now?" She asked.

"Normally I would have a completely different outlook of what I'm about to tell you but since it could really inconvenience me, I'll squeal." He said and Elena raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"Stefan's still drinking human blood." Damon stated.

Elena's doe brown eyes went wide. "What?!"

"Yeah, a month ago I would have rejoiced but with the council back on the alert, it is not a good time for Stefan to fly off the handle." Damon nodded.

"I know he's been a little edgy but he said that was normal." She tried to defend him but Damon wasn't having it.

"He has a fridge full of stolen blood bank contraband in the house."

"Oh my god." The brunette was completely stunned. It seemed that all of the color left her cheeks as she sat down on the couch. Her head was spinning and she looked to Grace.

"It's true, Elena. I had a vision. He's...it was bad." The Guardian shuffled her feet awkwardly.

"He has no idea what normal is, his entire existence isn't normal. Normal to a vampire is drinking human blood but he spent all this time fighting it when he should have been learning to control it and now it's controlling him instead." Damon explained.

Elena shook her head. "I can't believe this. I mean, it's Stefan that we're talking about here."

"He robbed a hospital blood bank and he's hoarding blood. His moral compass is out of whack. It's like he's a druggie, he doesn't care about what he does, as long as he gets his fix." Grace sat beside her and placed an arm over her shoulder.

"Grace is right. Stefan on human blood Elena; he'll do anything, he'll say anything because he's not gonna want to stop. Trust me." Damon's words were grave and left little hope that Stefan would ever be okay and it scared Elena. Her bottom lip quivered and Grace hugged her tightly, rubbing her back and trying to keep her head calm before the pageant.

"This is all my fault; I'm the one who fed him the blood in the first place." Elena whimpered.

Grace shook her head and pulled back from their embrace. "Listen to me, none of this is your fault."

The door swung open and Stefan sauntered into the room. Grace gave Damon a worried glance while Elena just played her hands in her lap. "What's going on in here?" He asked.

"Grace and I were just filling Elena on your extra-curricular activities." Damon replied smartly.

Stefan chuckled, making light of the situation. "What are you talking about?"

Elena stood now, "I know about the blood, Stefan." The green eyed vampire didn't say a word. Instead, the two of them stared at one another in silence.

Damon cleared his throat and moved towards the door, hoping to remove himself from this awkward situation. "I'm uh, I'll be downstairs. Drinking." Grace then found it the perfect time to leave as well as he ushered her out the door and to the bar with a hand on her lower back.

"I'm worried about him." The Guardian murmured as she took her glass of straight bourbon from the bartender. She needed something strong to get through today.

"Look, Stefan's had...a problem when it comes to consuming human blood. He becomes addicted to it and he can't stop drinking." Damon explained.

"Do you think he'll get that bad?" She asked and Damon nodded.

"Of course. I've seen it happen before. It's like watching a car crash and there is nothing you can do to stop it." The visual he gave was grim and it made Grace shiver. She took a long sip of bourbon and Damon wiggled his eyebrows.

"What? You think a girl can't drink bourbon?" She shrugged. "After today, I'll need more."

"I feel you." Damon sighed and held his glass out to hers.

Grace clinked it against his, "What was the toast for?"

"Just because." The vampire spoke into his glass. "I guess this is our thing now."

"What thing?" Grace questioned.

"Well at every function we've been at, we're always at the bar." He replied.

"Hmm, I guess that's our thing then." She giggled and could already feel the bourbon loosening her up. "We're both alone and drowning our sorrows."

"Alone?" The vampire gestured for her to take a seat and he couldn't help but notice how the hem of her jewel purple cocktail dress rode up higher on her thighs.

"I ended it with Adam." She crossed her sculpted legs and tapped her heel against the bar.

Damon gave a low whistle and what looked like a frown. "What happened?"

"I'm sick of the lies. I don't want to be with someone who can't tell me the truth. Relationships are about trust and teamwork. If you have to hide things from the person you're with, then what's the point of being together?" She frowned deeply an kindly asked the bartender for a refill.

"Well, I'm not the relationship guru," Damon started, his track record with women wasn't something to brag about. He could have any woman he wanted, but he could never keep them. "But I do know one thing."

"What's that?" Grace sighed and hunched her shoulders.

"That guy is a moron for letting you go." He spoke and Grace nearly dropped her drink at the sincerity in his voice. It was so genuine with not a hint of sarcasm or disdain to mar it. A gentle smile played across his lips and it made her smile too.

"Thank you, Damon." It was barely a whisper but Damon heard her. She didn't know if it was the bourbon or their friendship growing closer over the past few days but she was starting to look at him in a slightly different light. She could also feel his aura whenever he was around. It was strong and fearless, but behind all of that was a dire need to help the ones that were important to him. Damon's blue eyes peered into her brown ones and she felt herself leaning closer to him.

Blood. Screaming. Horror. Grace's mind was assaulted with harsh visions of Damon's past as a vampire. She saw him feeding on many women at a time and ruthlessly killing his victims in cold blood.

The Guardian jumped back and placed a hand over her lips, completely in shock of what she thought about doing. Her panicked eyes found the form of her mother in the crowd who was speaking with Jonathan Gilbert quite intently. Her mother happened to look over to her and glared seeing that she was with Damon.

"I...I have to go." Grace mumbled and hopped off the barstool.

"Grace?" He called after her, but she was gone. The vampire gritted his teeth as he turned around to see Grace's mother standing before him. "Ms. Clark."

"Mr. Salvatore." She bit back. "Enjoying toying with my daughter?"

Damon's eyes flashed with anger. "I'm just looking out for your daughter, something you have an inability to do."

Diana scowled and suddenly gripped his wrist, normally this wouldn't hurt a vampire, but she had sprigs of vervain in her hands which were now being pressed into Damon's skin. The vampire groaned and doubled over slightly, trying not to draw attention to himself. "Now you listen to me and listen good, you leech!" She hissed in his ear. "I know who the monsters are in this town and I can very easily let it slip to the Council that you and your brother are one of them." She tightened her grip and the sprigs sizzled against Damon's skin, making him clench his eyes shut. "So, I suggest that you and Stefan watch your steps very carefully. Are we clear?"

"Point taken." Damon rasped.

"And if you hurt my girl, I will kill you with my bare hands." Diana threatened and finally let Damon go. The vampire cradled his wrist and watched it heal while Diana just watched him with prying eyes. "Remember what I said." With that, she turned on her heel and left.

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><p>Grace locked the bathroom door behind her and let out a nervous breath. She really thought about kissing Damon?! How could she be so stupid? She just broke up with Adam not even a few days ago and she was ready to nuzzle up to Damon. She scolded herself but a part of her showed mercy for the vampire. He was broken hearted and Damon had such an ability to love. She could feel that need whenever he was around her. Grace settled with herself and fixed the material of her dress before taking a look at her reflection, but to her dismay, it was shattered. Little drops of blood decorated the broken glass and she was hit with another vision.<p>

_"Where is Amber?" Mrs. Lockwood asked the other contestants nervously and none of them could give her a reply._

_Out in the parking lot, Stefan led Amber away from the pageant and the hungry, blood thirsty look on his face was enough to make Grace fear for Amber's life._

The Guardian held her head in her hands and screwed her eyes shut. The visions were becoming too much to handle and she had tried shutting them off to decrease the frequency, but it wasn't working. She hated to admit it, but she really needed Adam's help. He was the only one who knew what she was going through and he was in some unknown location. In an act of desperation, she pulled out her phone and with shaky fingers she dialed his number. She didn't get far since a loud knock on the other side of the door stopped her.

"Grace?" Carol Lockwood's voice was muffled. "We need you upstairs. The contestants are starting to line up."

The Guardian took a deep breath in an effort to calm her nerves and replied, "I'll be right out!" Looks like she had to do this all on her own and she'd be dammed if she failed.

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><p>Elena Gilbert paced across the balcony for what must have been the millionth time as she searched for Stefan's face among the crowd. Her vampire escort was nowhere to be found and that worried her. The rest of the contestants had already been announced and there were only a few more left.<p>

"I have to find Stefan." She murmured to herself.

"You can't just leave now!" Caroline whined. "You'll miss being announced."

"I don't care about that now, Caroline." The brunette fought. "I'm getting out of here." She huffed and pushed past the blonde to see Grace coming down the corridor.

"Elena? Where are you going? You have to be announced." Grace told her but Elena shook her head.

"No, I need to find Stefan." She tried to sidestep her but Grace gripped her by the shoulders firmly.

"This is out of your control! There is nothing you can do about it!" She told her with a growl.

"Miss Caroline Forbes and her escort Jeffrey Lockwood Hamilton." Mayor Lockwood's voice announced over the microphone from the first floor and Caroline looked to the bickering girls before heading down the steps.

"I can't just leave him when I know that something is going on." Elena argued.

"So, what do you suggest we do?" Grace raised an eyebrow as another name was called.

"Fill in for me." Elena's request left Grace in shock.

"What?!"

"Just fill in for me. Please, Grace. This is Stefan we're talking about." She begged and the Guardian just couldn't say no.

"I'm going to kill you for this." She grumbled and Elena smiled at her before darting down the hallway.

Damon fixed the sleeve on his suit as he watched each couple walk past him, he too was looking for Stefan and became worried that he wasn't anywhere to be seen. Mayor Lockwood tapped the microphone, ready to announce the last contestant.

"And last but not least, we have Miss Ele-" His speech was stopped as a young man handed him an index card and whispered something in his ear. "Excuse me, we have a last minute change. Filling in for Miss Elena Gilbert is Miss Grace Clark." The crowd chattered with one another and Damon looked up onto the balcony to see Grace twiddling her thumbs, looking nervous as ever. "And she will be escorted by Mister Stefan Salvatore." The crowd applauded while some of them chattered with one another as to why Elena wasn't present.

Grace steadied herself at the top of the steps and took a deep breath, exhaling her nerves and proceeded to walk down the staircase. Her hand on the banister barely skimmed it as she descended and she walked with such an air of grace that the other contestants grew a little bit envious as they watched her. Seeing that his brother was a no show, Damon took his place at the bottom of the steps, waiting for Grace. At the last couple of steps, Grace came into view and a lot of the older women in the crowd made snide comments about her short purple dress and minimal hair and make-up since all of the other contestants wore floor length gowns and were painted up like little dolls. Grace wanted to bite back at them but her breath was taken away when she saw Damon waiting for her. She gave him a shy smile and he held out his hand for her to take, which she did. They walked hand in hand past the audience and Jenna threw Grace a confused look.

"Where is Elena?" Damon asked her quietly.

"She went off to look for Stefan and begged me to take her place." Grace replied as they walked outside to join the other couples. "And Stefan is with that girl Amber. It's not good, Damon." She was honestly worried for Elena's safety. If Stefan was as bad as Damon made him out to be, then the outcome wouldn't be good for anyone. "What are we going to do?" She asked him as they took their dance positions.

"Right now, we just have to get through this." Damon answered as he bowed before her and she curtsied.

The music started up and Grace felt a strange sense of comfort surround her. Music did that to her. Whenever she felt on edge, she'd put on some music and her nerves would melt away. She and Damon lifted their right hands and held them up to one another's without touching at all. They circled one another, keeping their eyes locked on each other as they came back to their original positions. They repeated the same process with the left hand and they both seemed to notice how their hands became closer and closer but still did not touch. They held up both hands and as they circled around each other Grace felt her skin heat up as she felt the ever so soft brush of Damon's fingers against hers. A blush rose in her cheeks as they stepped in together for the waltz portion of the dance and he held her in his strong arms. This dance was different than the one they shared at the kick-off party. This one was closer, more intimate. All eyes were on Damon and Grace as they moved effortlessly across the dance floor, putting all of the other couples to shame. Just as the Guardian felt herself relax, she blinked and saw a vision behind her eyes of Stefan and Amber. He was running his index finger over the side her neck and his fangs were poking out from behind his lips.

_"If I do this, if I give in, there's no going back." Stefan spoke to her as he eyed her carotid artery in her neck._

_Amber stared back at Stefan, clearing in a trance of compulsion or else she'd be running and screaming for her life."Then don't."_

_Her words practically gave Stefan then entitlement to lean in closer to her neck. "I just want one taste; that's all I need. I just want one taste." His face began to change and Amber just watched it all occur. Dark black and red eyes narrowed on the vein of choice and his fangs seemed to grow in length and sharpen._

_"One taste." Amber nodded dreamily and Stefan finally pierced her neck. He guzzled down her sweet blood and Amber's eyes fell closed, her head leaning back and exposing more of her neck to the hungry vampire._

Startled and shaken from her vision, Grace unexpectedly missed a step and tripped over her own feet. Her ankle rolled from underneath her and she was ready to hit the floor, but Damon pulled her closer to him and continued the dance without missing a beat. His fearful blue eyes ran over her panic stricken face and knew that her vision had not been a pleasant one. She clutched him tightly for fear of falling again and couldn't help but enjoy the feel of his hard body pressed against hers. His strong arms made sure to keep her up as they continued to waltz. She frowned that she had allowed a vision to trip her up in something that was as simple as walking to her.

"No one even noticed." Damon whispered in her ear, picking up on her disappointment and it dissipated almost immediately. The dance came to an end as the last few chords were played and the couples all returned to their original positions. Grace and Damon stood across from one another and they both smiled, finding peace and serenity in one another's eyes.

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><p>The dance was finished and Grace and Damon quickly made their way back into the manor. Sheriff Forbes asked Damon to check out the bathroom that Grace was using since Jonathan Gilbert reported that there was blood on the mirror. The Guardian waited nervously, picking at her cuticles as Elena returned from her search.<p>

"Did you find him?" Grace asked.

Elena shook her head sadly. "No, I can't find him anywhere and he's not answering his phone."

"There is blood in the bathroom and I had a vision that Amber was with Stefan." She told her with a frown and Elena's panic level rose even higher.

Damon joined the girls, a look of worry painting his features. "It doesn't look good, feathers. That Amber girl has been missing for most of the afternoon and so has Stefan."

"Oh my god! He wouldn't hurt her! He won't!" Elena tried to keep her voice down, but it was near impossible.

"Let's just find him, okay? Let's get your coat. The both of you, come on!" Damon darted off and they followed closely behind him, hoping that they would find Stefan before it was too late.

They searched the grounds extensively but came up with nothing. Grace's visions came in pieces, all of them were fragmented and needed to be stitched together but they had neither the time nor the place. She had gotten separated from Damon and Elena and was now trudging through the forest alone. It was dark and the ground was wet, the heels of her shoes sunk into the dirt which slowed her down a lot. The snapping of twigs in the distance made her pick up her pace, perhaps she'd found Amber or Stefan. A shadow suddenly knocked into Grace and she screamed out, so did the girl who hit into her.

"Amber!" Grace helped the shaking and bleeding girl off the ground.

"Grace! Oh my god! He-he told me to run but...but he's chasing me!" She babbled. The two heard someone else in the woods with them and Amber jumped out of her skin.

"Okay, just-" As Grace tried to finish her thought, she was thrown into the trunk of a thick tree and was now staring up at Stefan. Amber had fallen back down to the ground and crawled away. "Stefan! Stefan, it's me. It's Grace."

The vampire snarled, his fangs shined in the moonlight. "You." He seethed and grabbed her neck in his large hand. "You found out about the hospital and you told my brother."

"I had to, Stefan. This is crippling you." She gasped out.

"And now Elena knows!" He squeezed her so roughly that she could feel her skin bruising.

"L-let go of me!" The Guardian begged as black dots speckled her vision. Stefan hissed, his fangs extending even more before burying them in Grace's neck. The bite stung and was rough and vicious, not like Damon's from the night before. He drank messily and her blood slid down her skin from the wound. In a last stitch effort, Grace focused on her powers and pressed her glowing hand against Stefan's chest. He growled and yanked his fangs from her neck. She slumped to the forest floor and sucked in a few deep breaths.

"Stefan!" Elena yelled as she approached the pair with Damon and Bonnie by her side.

"Stefan, come on get control. It's okay, come on. Breath through it man." Damon coached but his brother was beyond talking to. As Damon approached him, Stefan grabbed him and threw him up against a tree.

"Stefan, stop it!" Elena screamed and the vampire suddenly gripped his head as Bonnie began to chant to herself. He groaned and fell to his knees and looked up as Bonnie halted her spell. She needed to break Stefan's bloodlust for just a moment in order for him to see what he'd done. His vampire facade faded away and he looked to Grace who was holding onto her neck against a tree. He rose to his feet and tried to move to her, but she shook her head and pressed herself closer into the tree trunk. Stefan's face dropped as he really took in what had just happened.

"It's okay, Stefan." Damon consoled but his brother had already disappeared into the forest, ashamed of the events that played out tonight.

Elena ran to Grace who was using the tree to help her stand back up. "Grace, I am so sorry."

The bite was very deep and would leave a scar if it wasn't healed and Grace had lost quite a bit of blood. "No, go find Amber." She told them. "She knows that Stefan is a vampire so she needs to be compelled."

Damon nodded but seemed hesitant to leave Grace since she was looking quite pale. "Cover that up before the police get here." He told her and she started to heal herself.

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><p>A few hours later, Grace tiptoed down the steps of the boarding house to see Elena sleeping against the wall of the cells in the basement. With Damon's help, she had decided that Stefan needed to be locked up. His bloodlust was too much for anyone to control and it was just better off for him to be contained. The Guardian gently nudged the girl on the floor and helped her to stand.<p>

"C'mon, Elena." Grace whispered softly. "I called Jenna and told her that you were spending the night with me."

"But, Stefan..." Elena mumbled tiredly.

"Stefan will be fine." She promised her and helped her up the steps and to a spare room.

"Grace?" The girl yawned.

"Mmhmm?" The Guardian tucked her in bed tightly.

"Am I doing the right thing?" She asked and propped her arm under her pillow.

Grace sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "There's no guarantee that it will work."

"It has to." Elena nodded sleepily.

"Get some rest. Today was a long day." Grace smiled and snuck out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. She shuffled to Damon's room to see him taking off his tie.

"Hey. How's the bite?" He greeted.

"It's fine. I healed myself and my neck is as good as new." She replied but hadn't told him about the little faint scar her wrists from where Damon bit her. She hadn't healed herself because she was too tired and Damon's handiwork ensured that she wouldn't have a deep scar. The skin and tissue had smoothed over nicely with only light marks on her already pale skin. Grace was already dressed for bed and walked over to her phone which was blinking on the end table.

"That kid has been calling all day." Damon remarked as he tossed his tie aside and unbuttoned his shirt.

"That's because I tried to call him today. The visions, they wouldn't stop and...I thought I couldn't do it." She admitted.

"But you did." The vampire looked back at her

"Because you were there." Grace smiled. "If you weren't there today, I don't think I could have done it." Multiple times throughout the day, she felt like she was going to lose it, but the only thing that kept her strong was the simple fact of Damon being there.

"Well, I did help you during that dance. If it weren't for me, you would've fallen flat on your face." He smirked and her twisted up amusedly.

"Thanks for that." She told him and gathered her duffel bag and phone.

"And where are you going?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"To another room. I fell asleep in here last night because I was too tired to move." She replied and yawned.

"Thank god you're leaving. You kick in your sleep." Damon quipped and she narrowed her brown eyes.

"Do not!"

"Do to."

"Well, you snore in your sleep!" She accused and slung her bag over her shoulder.

Damon chuckled and peered at her over her shoulder. She giggled and sluggishly headed for the bedroom door. "Goodnight, feathers."

Grace turned, her curls falling over her shoulders and down her back. "Goodnight, Damon." She smiled and gently closed the door behind her before looking for an empty room down the hall.

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><p><strong>Each step Grace takes away from Adam, she gets even closer to Damon. Really love writing their moments together :) So, it seems that Diana is still upset with Damon hanging around Grace. What will she do if Damon crosses the line?<strong>

**Please review!**


	23. Blood Brothers

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 23: Blood Brothers**

**Beta:**** un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

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><p><em>The Salvatore brothers snuck around the brush as they watched the wagon that held their beloved Katherine. The chilly night air didn't bring any comfort to them as they went over their plan in their heads. This was a suicide mission, going after Katherine, but they had to save her.<em>

_"I'll distract them. Go." Stefan hushed to his older brother and shoved him towards the horse-drawn wagon. "Over here!" He called to a bunch of men that were being led by Jonathan Gilbert. "There's another one! Quick! Help me!"_

_Jonathan Gilbert gathered his men, "Arm yourselves!" He told them and they cocked their rifles, gripping them so tightly that their knuckles turned white. One lone man was left to guard the wagon that was crawling with vampires and Damon took his change to act. He struck the man over the head, letting him fall to the ground before searching frantically in his pockets for the keys that would unlock the wagon._

_Stefan had joined his brother to help him look, "Hurry! We don't have long!" He told him as Damon jammed the key in the lock and turned it. They threw the door open and pulled out Katherine, leaving the other vampires to remain in their dark prison._

_"We're going to get you out of here." Damon cooed as he removed the muzzle from around her mouth._

_A whinnying horse in the distance struck fear inside the brothers, members of Jonathan Gilbert's vampire hunt were approaching. "Damon, hurry! Hurry!"_

_As Damon got the latch on the muzzle open, a loud shot echoed off the trees and he was suddenly propelled backwards. He landed on his back as blood soaked his shirt. He'd been shot._

_"No! No, Damon!" Stefan cried and watched the life leave his brother's eyes. He didn't have time to grieve as the men came closer._

_"Come on! Let's go!" Their footsteps pounded against the soil and Stefan rushed to grab a gun to arm himself with but he was too late. Another shot rang out and Stefan was next to fall beside his brother._

In a cold sweat, Grace bolted up from her bed and placed a hand over her heart. Her dream was so vivid, as if she was actually there in the forest with the Salvatore brothers in 1864. She could even feel the pain of where the bullet entered their skin. Surprisingly, she had slept soundly the entire night except for her vision of the past. Her body slightly ached from fighting against Stefan last night, but other than that, she was fine. A gentle knock at her door made her eyes flick towards it and Elena stuck her head in between the crack.

"Hey, you okay?" Elena asked. "I heard you fussing before."

Grace nodded and threw the covers off of her. "Yeah, just some bad dreams." She replied and started to get ready to go out for a run. "How's Stefan feeling?"

"He's...not good. I hate seeing him locked up like that." The brunette frowned. "I'm actually running to school now, but Damon will be staying home with him."

"Yeah, I'm heading out for a morning run." She said and tied her hair in a high bun.

"Grace, Stefan is really upset about what happened last night." Elena said as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.

"He didn't meant to bite me. He just lost control." Grace told her.

"But he feels guilty." She shrugged sadly.

"I'll talk to him later, Elena." The young Guardian tried to put Elena at ease, but her mind was fixated on her vampire boyfriend who was currently locked in a cell.

* * *

><p>A run was just what Grace needed as her feet pounded against the ground. She'd taken a short cut through the woods, not really wanting to come across any familiar faces. She much preferred to leave her ear buds blasting in her ears, keeping her pace and being at peace with herself. She needed to clear her head of all of the vampire and Adam drama even if it was for an hour or two. The young Guardian wound through the forest, darting between the trees and hopping over thick roots. Her workout playlist drowned out all of the outside sounds and the world around her disappeared. She was deep within the woods now and Mystic Falls couldn't be seen through the trees. Grace stopped among some ruins to time herself but the reminders of the past left behind were more exciting. Eroded stones littered the ground in piles and Grace found herself ghosting her hands over them.<p>

Someone suddenly ran past her and Grace whipped around to see a young Damon clutching a football in his hands with Stefan following close behind. This scene would have been completely normal except for the fact that the brothers were both dressed in their 1864 clothing. They both smiled and laughed as they tossed the football back and forth. Grace looked over her shoulder to see the piles of ruins were now neatly organized into a stunning mansion.

"Where did you learn this game?" Stefan asked his brother.

"Camp outside Atlanta. One of the officers picked it up at Harvard. Catch!" Damon tossed the football to him.

Stefan caught it and crouched down, seeing Damon move closer to him. "Wait! What are the rules?" The brothers than ran in circles around one another, nearly wrestling to gain control over the ball. Grace giggled watching them, life seemed so simple back then.

"Who needs rules?" A brunette purred as she walked down the porch steps. Both brothers and Grace turned to see Miss Katherine Pierce sauntering from the mansion. Stefan and Damon seemed absolutely enthralled by her, forgetting their game of football. Grace clearly wasn't impressed by her, if anything, she was annoyed by her presence. "Mind if I join you?" She asked Stefan coyly.

"Aw, well, you could get hurt. My brother likes to play rough." The green eyed boy told her and Katherine cast a teasing glance to Damon whose blue eyes were eating her up.

"Somehow I think that you play rougher." Her voice was low as she drew closer to the younger Salvatore brother. Stefan just couldn't take his eyes off her and she managed to snatch the football from him and ran off through the expansive gardens.

The brothers ran by her and after Katherine and their bodies soon faded away into nothingness. Grace looked back at the house to see that it had returned back to its dreary state. With a sigh, she pushed her buds back into her ears and started running again. She was well out of the town boarder of Mystic Falls when she came across something magnificent. Settled in a clearing were waterfalls that poured streams of water over its edge and down into the pools below. All in all, it was a beautiful sight to see. Grace decided that this would be her new place to come to when she felt the need to be alone. It was beautiful and the Guardian would keep this place as her secret. Feeling a sense of adventure well from inside her, Grace began to trek up the side of the Falls. Swiftly and carefully, she climbed over the rock, sticking her feet and hands in any indentations on the face of the rock.

The young Guardian finally reached the top and sat down upon the huge rock. She peered down at the water below and wanted nothing more than to just jump in and take a swim. This was the first time in a long time that she was ever alone with her thoughts and Grace quite liked the idea. Sometimes she just needed a break from everything. Her mom was trigger happy, Adam was sneaky, and she was thrown into the world of vampires without any warning. Grace felt her eyes slipping closed when her phone rang in her pocket. She didn't want to pick it up, but Damon's name read across the caller ID.

_"Where are you?"_ He asked.

"I went out for a run. Why? Is everything okay?" She stood from the rock and grumbled that she was probably going to have to leave her new hiding place.

_"Everything's fine. I'm just running out with Ric and I need someone to watch Stefan."_ Damon spoke.

"And what makes you think that I'm equipped to handle a vampire that is off the rails?" She raised an eyebrow.

_"You'll be fine. Just set him on fire if he misbehaves."_ Grace rolled her eyes.

"So, you get to go on an adventure while I babysit. Sounds fair." She grumbled and she could hear Damon groan on the other end.

_"Please, Grace? I can't leave Stefan alone."_

The Guardian bit her bottom lip before huffing. "Fine. I'll do it. You so owe me! And if he tries anyth-"

_"I know, I know. He'll be charbroiled."_ Damon droned. _"Thanks, feathers."_ They both hung up and Grace smiled a little at his nickname for her. She kinda liked it and it was starting to grow on her. Tucking her phone away, Grace moved to climb down the way she came, but the rock was slippery and she tripped, falling off the edge. She was free falling in slow motion and she couldn't stop herself. The rock she'd fallen from was high up and she knew the waterfall held the promise of jagged rocks that would shred her to pieces. Grace closed her eyes tightly, praying she'd make it out alive as she grew closer to the rushing water.

But Grace never felt the slap of the water against her skin or the jagged rocks ripping into her skin.

Opening her eyes, Grace was staring down at the water and she was just hovering above it. She reached her hand out and waded her hand through the cold water in awe that she was just floating. A strong flap from above her made her realize that she was saved by her own white wings that were fluttering and keeping her in the air. She was starting down at her reflection saw her wings behind her. She willed her wings to fly her over to the ground before letting her feet touch the ground. Grace flapped them a couple times and smiled widely. When she wasn't busy dancing, she worked on making her wings stronger and they had grown in size. The soft, fluffy feathers brushed against her back and she pressed them into her skin, letting them disappear before she started her run back to the boarding house.

* * *

><p>By the time Grace made it home, Damon was gone and she was alone with Stefan. She jogged down the steps and stood at the grate on Stefan's door. He was sitting in the corner, looking down at the floor and his strong arms hugged his legs to him.<p>

"Hey, Stefan." She greeted him but he didn't answer. Grace then shook the water bottle filled with blood so he could see it. "Damon gave me some blood for you in case you're hungry. It's animal blood." With careful hands, she unbolted the door and rolled the bottle inside before locking the door again.

"I'm not hungry." Stefan grumbled, still not looking at her.

"Look, I know you're upset about what happened last night." She started.

"I bit you, Grace." The vampire finally lifted his eyes.

"I know, but it just happened." Grace told him.

"I don't even know how you're able to look at me." Stefan muttered and leaned his head back against the wall.

With a wrinkled nose, Grace sighed and climbed the stairs, leaving Stefan to himself. She had some time to kill, so she looked through some old books in the library. Finding nothing of real interest, Grace plopped down on the couch and a strange object on the table caught her eye. It looked like an old fashioned pocket watch. She picked it up and fiddled with it, tossing the watch in her hands. The Guardian closed her eyes and she focused her powers on it. She saw fleeting visions of fireworks in the town square and s sudden high pitched sound screamed in her ear. Grace threw the pocket watch down and as soon as it clunked against the table, the sound stopped. Her ears rang and her brain buzzed as the room spun out of control. Colors swirled around until they faded to blackness and Grace's eyes fluttered closed.

_"Mr. Gilbert, you have a visitor." An African American woman knocked on the man's door politely._

_Jonathan Gilbert didn't even lift his eyes from his journal to his maid and waved her off. "Yes, they can come in." He told her and the woman nodded before ushering in the guest that was awaiting to see Jonathan. The man continued to scrawl words across the paper when the slender form of a woman stood in front of his desk. She was tall for a woman and wore black from head to toe. A netted fascinator was pulled over her amber eyes and her light brown hair was pinned back into a neat bun. She was very beautiful as well, almond shaped eyes, thin lips and smooth skin._

_"Mr. Gilbert, my name is Juliet Clark." She outstretched her gloved hand and he stood to shake it._

_"A pleasure." He smiled and gestured for her to sit but she respectfully declined._

_"I am here to speak about the vampires." Juliet's statement made Jonathan tense up. "I am no fool, Jonathan. I see them walk amongst you."_

_The man sighed and ran a hand over his face. "It is out of control. I am at a loss for what to do with them."_

_"That is why I'm here. Take this." The woman handed him a small pocket watch and he took it hesitantly._

_"This was my pocket watch." Jonathan admired it._

_"I've made a few changes to it." She placed her hands over his, popping the top of the watch open and Jonathan could see a needle inside it spinning around wildly. "You want to find vampires, here is your chance." The needle whirled around until it pointed in a direction heading outside the house. "Follow it." She prompted and Jonathan treaded carefully outside and around the back of the house. They heard the pained moans of a vampire taking life from his victim and the pair drew closer. The needle refused to move from its spot, pointing right at the vampire who was feeding from a lady of the night._

_"My God..." Jonathan hushed and the predator whipped his head around, not taking kindly to being found out. He hissed and dropped the woman before baring his fangs at the pair. In fear, Jonathan dropped the vampire compass and was prepared to run for his life. The blonde vampire rushed for Jonathan but a smooth flick of Juliet's wrist stopped everything. Hand outstretched, palm facing out and fingers spread apart, she circled her wrist and the vampire let out a loud groan. Tiny flames burst all over him, as if burning him from the inside out and he combusted, falling to a pile of ashes on the ground. Without missing a beat, she plucked up the compass from the floor to see that the needle was relaxed, not sensing any vampires in the area._

_"That was simple enough." She handed it back to Jonathan who was in disbelief of what he just witnessed._

_"What are you?" He asked her and all she could do was stare down at the charred ashes on the floor, the smell of rotting flesh wafting into the night air._

_A smirk twisted at Juliet's pale lips, "To a vampire, I'm known as the Angel of Death." Her amber eyes met Jonathan's and she gave him a comforting smile. "Do not be afraid, Mr. Gilbert. Vampires will ruin this town if they are not stopped."_

_"I...I understand." He stammered and looked down at the very hand she used to slay a vampire. Jonathan predicted that she might be the devil or some kind of divinity, but he wasn't sure about which side she played on. This woman seemed to straddle the fine line of playing God and the devil._

_"I am nor God or Satan, Mr. Gilbert. I just do not want vampires to take what is not theirs." She spoke and turned on her heel. Jonathan called after her, but she didn't falter at all. As Juliet disappeared within the thick fog, Jonathan could swear he saw the outline of wings pressed against her back._

Grace finally came too when she registered the sound of her cell phone ringing on the table. With a growl, she lifted the phone to her ear.

"What?" She hissed.

_"I'll take that greeting to assume that Stefan's being a pain. How's babysitting?"_ Damon's smug voice came over the receiver.

"Stefan won't eat." She replied.

_"I figured that. I told Elena that Stefan liked puppy blood, but-"_

"Ugh! You're disgusting!" Grace scowled.

_"Oh, come on! I was joking!"_ He defended.

"Well, you're sick in the head!" She whined and looked back down at the device. "Listen, are you coming home yet?"

_"Yeah, why? You miss me already?"_ He smirked.

Grace rolled her brown eyes and sighed, "I need you to do me a favor..."

_"That depends."_ He told her.

"I need you to go to my house and grab some books from my dad's office." A few beats of silence let her know that Damon was probably cursing her from head to toe.

_"Let me make sure I'm hearing this correctly. You want me to go back to your house, dodge your psychopathic mother, and get some books from your dead father's study?"_ He repeated everything slowly and Grace grimaced. She knew that she'd have to beg him.

"Please, Damon! I did you a favor by coming out here to babysit." She proclaimed.

_"But...your mother..."_ He trailed off.

"You're scared of a forty-something year old lady?" Grace teased and she could hear him chuckle. "Come on, Damon. Please! I would go back, but I can't sneak around like you can."

_"I am a pretty good snoop, aren't I?" _

"The best!" She hated kissing his vampire ass but she needed some of those books. She knew exactly which ones she needed too. "Besides, you owe me."

Grace was met with silence again and for a moment she thought the call was lost. _"Fine."_

* * *

><p>Damon kicked the door to the mansion closed swiftly as he lugged some old books inside. He followed Grace's every specific order on what books she needed and was able to sneak around the house without running into Diana.<p>

Score.

He found Grace fast asleep on the couch while Elena was scribbling in her diary. The brunette lifted her eyes and quirked an eyebrow at the amount of books Damon was carrying.

"They're for Grace." He replied and Elena did nothing but smile before going back to her diary. The vampire placed the books down on the table with a loud thump and that jostled Grace from her sleep. "Oh, good. You're up."

"Damn, I was having a nice nap." The Guardian grumbled.

"You know, you're sleeping on the job. I'll have to dock your pay." He tisked.

Grace's eyes narrowed but they relaxed seeing the books she needed on the table. "Oh my gosh! You got them all!" She beamed and took one off the top.

"As requested. And now, how about that sexy striptease you promised me?" Damon smirked and if Elena's eye could have popped out of her head, they would have.

"He's kidding." Grace snickered.

"Am not." Damon sang and tossed a book to Grace. "So, what did you need these for? And don't tell me it's because you're bored."

"I was thinking that maybe my dad knew more about Guardians since he was one." She replied as she flicked through some pages. "My mom and Adam aren't giving me any answers, so I'm going go figure them out myself."

* * *

><p>Later on in the evening, Grace sat up in her room in the boarding house and picked through each and every page of every book. Elena had brought Stefan home since he had a suicide mission of standing out in the sun with his ring off. Grace begged Elena to go with her because she knew that trying to forgive Stefan of his guilt for biting her was the best way to handle it but her friend refused. Thankfully, the two had returned home and Stefan apologized to Grace. The young Guardian threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, trying to impose her positive energy onto him. She foresaw that the road for Stefan to get back on track would be difficult, but with Elena's help, he could do it.<p>

Grace continued to search through the books and found helpful information about her own family tree. It stemmed back to the 1800's and backwards. Her ancestors were proactive members of the anti vampire movement in 1864. Turning more pages, a makeshift bookmark slipped out and a name and date was scribbled on it.

_Juliet Clark_

_1866_

Grace turned over the bookmark to see that it was actually an old photograph. The woman's name and face clicked as the person she saw with Jonathan Gilbert in her vision. Along with this photo was a death certificate that Juliet had passed not long after the photograph was taken. While shifting some books around, she found an old leather bound book with a lock on it. Tears burned Grace's eyes as she stared down at the book. She knew that book. It was her father's journal. Everything was telling her to leave the journal be, but she needed answers and she promised herself that she'd get them. She placed a finger on the lock and let the metal heat up and the material melted, allowing her to open up the journal. An old envelope was tucked behind the front cover and she held it in her hands. Her own name was scrawled neatly on the face of the envelope and Grace slowly ripped it open. With shaking hands, she read over the letter, holding her breath the entire time.

_My little Grace,_

_ If you're reading this now, it means that I'm gone from this world. I am so sorry for having to hide everything from you, but at the time, you were too young to understand. Within this journal is an explanation of everything about who you are. You are such a strong young woman, Grace, and I know that you will do amazing things. Please remember that I am so proud of you and will be watching over you always._

_With all my love,_

_Your father_

Droplets of water stained the handwritten letter as Grace let herself cry. All this time, that journal was always in her home and her mother hid it from her. Diana hid everything from her and Grace was sick of the lies. As she skimmed through the journal, a small business card fell out and onto the bed. She had to squint to read it, but she was able to make out a poorly written phone number. Nimble fingers dialed the number and her heart pounded in her chest as it rang.

_"Hello Grace."_ A calm female voice greeted and Grace nearly lost the will to speak.

"I...yes, that's me." She stammered. "I found this number and-"

_"I know who you are, dear. I have been waiting to speak with you."_ The young Guardian's eyes flicked down to the business card, shifting uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" She asked.

_"Oh, I apologize. Please, excuse my manners. My name is Juliet. Juliet Clark."_

* * *

><p><strong>And the plot thickens! Please review :)<strong>


	24. Isobel

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 24: Isobel**

**Beta:**** un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

* * *

><p><em>"Grace! It's me. Please call me. You're supposed to be here with me helping out with the Miss Mystic Float for the Founder's Day Parade."<em> The young Guardian deleted yet another frantic voice mail from Elena as she stepped up to an old house just outside of Mystic Falls. Juliet had instructed her to come to the house so they could meet and discuss everything. What Grace couldn't wrap her head around was why and how Juliet was still alive. She had to be almost two hundred years old. Was she a vampire? Were Guardians granted the ability to live longer than humans? So many questions buzzed around in Grace's mind but they all stopped as her hand tapped the knocker against the door. Each second that passed felt like a lifetime and Grace was soon second guessing herself on coming here.

The door opened and Grace was met with the smiling face of Juliet. She looked exactly the same as from her vision except she looked as if she had aged maybe ten years. She had to be about her mother's age now.

"Hi." Grace greeted. "I'm-"

"Yes, Grace. Please, come in." Juliet ushered the young girl inside. "Please excuse my home. It's a bit of a mess."

"That's alright." She shook her head and observed the so called "mess" that Juliet was talking about. Her home was so spotless that one could eat off the floors. Juliet brought Grace into the kitchen where she gestured for the girl to sit down.

"Can I get you anything? I just put up some tea." Juliet chattered as she grabbed two mugs from the cabinet.

"Tea is fine." Grace smiled and played with her fingers at the table when one of Juliet's cats leapt up onto the chair next to her. It tilted its head at the young Guardian, her blue/green eyes peering through her. Black fur covered her from head to toe as her tail swished back and forth. Juliet came back with the mugs and set them on the table before shooing her cat away. The feline jumped down, but sat by Grace's feet, purring softly

"Don't mind her. She likes it when guests come over." Juliet spoke and smiled at the cat.

"That's okay." The girl shrugged and took a sip of her tea. The bitter taste of vervain hit her tongue and she grimaced.

"I noticed that you weren't wearing any vervain, so I figured now's a good time to get you to drink the stuff." She told her and sipped from her own mug. "I know you used to wear it, but ever since you fought with that boy."

"Adam." Grace whispered and placed a hand on her neck, where his necklace that he'd given her used to sit.

"Ah, yes! Things are a little difficult between the two of you." Juliet nodded. "You don't wear the necklace anymore. It's stuffed in the back of a jewelry box somewhere."

Grace remained silent. She hadn't even known this woman for five minutes and she already knew about Adam and her vervain necklace. "How did..."

Juliet just tapped her temple with her index and middle finger. "You're a Guardian, Grace. You should know that we can feel things that cannot be explained."

"But, you're really on the mark." She said.

"I guess when you're as good as I am it just comes naturally, I suppose." Juliet shrugged and sat back in her chair, admiring the young girl before her. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

"I do." Grace nodded and Juliet let her speak. "I just...I don't even know where to start."

"Well, you found your father's journal. That's a start." She said and Grace's eyes flicked to meet hers at the mention of her father.

"How did you know him?" She asked.

"Guardians tend to stay in the same social circle. We stick together. Much like how vampires do and how werewolves travel in packs."

"Werewolves don't exist." Grace wrinkled her nose and Juliet chuckled.

"I guess that'll be another story for another time. Now, your father is a descendant of me. So are you." She told her. "Your mother is a Guardian as well even though she is not from my bloodline. It was very lucky that they found each other." Juliet smiled and Grace slightly frowned.

"My mom isn't a Guardian anymore." She spoke.

"I know. It's a very painful process to have your powers taken away." She sighed sadly.

"What has to be done?" Grace asked.

"I don't know all of the specifics, but it's like when a witch loses her powers. The wings of a Guardian are severed from their back and the powers go with it."

"My god." Grace whimpered. "That's horrible."

Juliet lifted the mug to her lips. "It is. I don't know why she'd do something like that, but I'm sure she had her reasons."

"Maybe. I actually kind of like being a Guardian." The girl smiled and pet the cat that was still sitting by her.

"It is a gift, Grace. And from what I can tell, you are growing into your powers quite nicely." Juliet acknowledged with a smile but her face faltered and that caused Grace to worry.

"What's wrong?" She raised an eyebrow and Juliet held out her hands for her to take.

"Give me your hands." Grace immediately took the elder Guardian's hands and held them tightly. "I see Isobel. She's back in town and she wants to meet with you and Elena." Juliet's eyes fell closed as she gripped Grace's hands tighter. "That device. The one from 1864. _She _wants it."

"Isobel?" The young Guardian inquired and Juliet nodded.

"She wants it for Katherine because she wants to get rid of the tomb vampires." She told her.

"What else do you see?" Grace asked desperately.

"An accident. A terrible accident. Lots of blood and pain. It's very blurry, but _be wary_, Grace." She stressed and Grace shivered. She couldn't imagine what kind of accident could be so bad that would happen to her. Juliet's grip on Grace's hands loosened slightly and her eyes opened. "Please, Grace, you need to be careful."

"I promise. I will." She nodded and reached her hands forward on the table again. "Can I ask you something?"

"How are you so..."

"Young?" Juliet asked, amusement playing in her amber eyes and Grace blushed. "Well, I'm not a vampire like your Salvatore brothers."

"You know about them?" She mused.

"Your forget that I was alive when they were humans. They were such nice boys until that wench came into town." The elder Guardian scowled. "I can't quite tell you how or why I am still alive and look as if I haven't aged, because your friends are looking for you." She nodded to Grace's phone which was buzzing in her pocket.

"I'm sorry. I guess they need me." The girl took her phone and typed back a quick reply before grabbing her bag off the back of the chair.

Juliet led Grace to the door, but stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know that you and your mother aren't in the best place right now, but I want you to know that you can come to me for anything, Grace."

"Thank you. I will." Grace smiled. "After today, I feel calmer about everything. I don't feel as angry."

"I can feel it." Juliet held Grace by her shoulders and patted them. "Now, go on and remember what I said."

* * *

><p>After apologizing for leaving Elena to brave Caroline's wrath all on her own, Grace headed up to the high school since Alaric needed to speak with them about something urgent. The young Guardian maneuvered the hallways until reaching the history teacher's classroom where Elena, Stefan, and Alaric were waiting inside. "Hey, you made it." Elena spoke.<p>

"I said that I would. Sorry about this morning." Grace shrugged. "I was busy with something."

"That's alright. Damon told me that you left early this morning." The brunette offered Grace a seat at one of the desks.

"Sorry I'm late." Damon strolled into the classroom. "Dog ate my..." A stern look from Alaric made him trail off before leaning against the teacher's desk. "Never mind. What's with all the furrowed brows"

"I saw Isobel last night." Alaric noted and Elena's eyes went wide.

"Isobel is here? In town?" Damon asked and the teacher nodded. "Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?"

Alaric shook his head, "No."

"No they're not?" The vampire inquired.

"No. I didn't ask." The teacher sighed.

"What about the invention?" Damon pressed and Alaric was now becoming uncomfortable with the intense question and answer process.

"Didn't ask."

Damon scoffed, "Did she know about the tomb vampires?"

Alaric shrugged, sliding his hands in his pockets. "I don't know."

"Did words completely escape you?" He grumbled.

"No, I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions." He growled.

"What did she want?" Damon asked Elena

"She wants to see me, Damon." The girl told him.

"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting. We don't know why or what she wants." Stefan spoke up.

"I'll go with Elena." The young Guardian stood and each face in the room held a confused expression. "That way, she won't be alone with my aunt."

"You don't have to see her if you don't want to." Stefan told Elena but the girl shook her head.

"I don't really have a choice." She said.

"She's threatened to go on killing spree." Alaric mentioned and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Oh! I take it that's not okay with you guys?" He chortled.

"I want to do it. I want to meet her. If I don't, I know I'll regret it." Elena looked to Grace who nodded back to her.

* * *

><p>The following day, Alaric had remained true to his word and set up a meeting with Isobel and Elena. As per Isobel's orders, Alaric, Damon and Grace were to remain outside and not interfere at all, however the young Guardian mentioned that it would be to their advantage if Stefan was to be incognito while being inside the Grill. So, that's where they stood. Damon was listening intently to the conversation between Isobel and Elena through the brick wall while keeping the other ear open.<p>

"I can't believe she's seriously being like this. I'm her niece!" Grace paced back and forth.

"It's what she requested." Alaric sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"How long did you know Isobel was a vampire?" Damon asked the Guardian.

"About a month ago, she called me and swore me to secrecy. As far as my mom knows, she's human." Grace replied.

"And you didn't think to tell anyone?" The vampire raised an eyebrow.

"No, I didn't. I don't like putting people I love in danger. You saw that night when she compelled that guy to run into the street and kill himself." She hissed.

Damon grumbled to himself and continued to listen to the conversation. "Damn, she wants the compass."

"The one that's at home?" Grace asked and he nodded. "Why?"

The vampire continued to listen, but he shook his head. "She's not saying."

Grace's phone rang with a call from Elena and she hurriedly answered it. "Elena, are you alright?"

_"Hello Grace."_ Isobel purred and Damon stared down at her.

"Aunt Isobel." She greeted solemnly. "What do you want?"

_"Come inside, Grace. I need to speak with you." _The woman told her_. "And tell Damon and Alaric to stay outside if they know what's good for them."_

Grace looked back at both men, their faces holding angered expressions. "I'll be okay." She told them and clicked off her phone before heading into the Grill. She walked past Stefan who was at the pool table, trying to console a crying Elena and Grace stomped towards Isobel's table. "What did you do?" She growled.

"Family reunions are very emotional, Grace." Isobel waved it off.

"I don't think I've ever seen you before. I don't even know who you are. This person isn't you, Aunt Isobel." The girl sat down as to not draw any more attention to themselves.

"A lot has changed and so have I." She replied simply.

"What do you want?" Grace asked.

"I want that invention." Isobel spoke.

"What invention?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Don't play dumb with me, Grace. You know which invention I'm talking about. I believe an ancestor of yours made it for Jonathan Gilbert back in the 1800's." The young Guardian was stunned into silence as she stared back at her smirking aunt.

"I don't have it." Grace finally answered.

"I know you don't, but Damon does." Isobel said.

"Your point?" She gritted her teeth.

"The point is, you're going to get it for me." Her aunt grinned.

"Why would I help you?" Grace sneered.

"Guardians are the ones that help keep humans safe, Grace. I figured you knew that. You'd be putting everyone in this town in jeopardy if you don't get me that compass." She explained but Grace sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll take my chances."

Isobel smirked and leaned forward, getting into her nieces face. "Then I'll tell you the same thing I told my daughter. The blood that will be spilled will be on your hands." With that, she rose from the table and stalked off. Grace's lower lip trembled, she refused to break down and cry. Instead, she bolted out of her seat and out of the Grill.

* * *

><p>The peaceful melody playing from the stereo wafted into Grace's ears, but it wasn't doing much to calm her down. Her movements were choppy and late, having to play catch up during her routine. Her muscles were tense and her facial features were anything but relaxed. She was sure the amount of stress she was under would kill her and she longed for the days she didn't have to worry about vampires, Guardians, and stupid pocket watches. Grace went into preparation for a fouetté turn, but she fumbled and fell to the ground. She slammed her fist against the floor in frustration when the music playing suddenly stopped. She looked up to see Adam holding a hand out to her. He looked the same except a little more grown up. His body was bigger, bulkier, but his brown eyes still held that playfulness that made her stomach flutter.<p>

"Bad day?" He asked and she just scowled at him.

"You wouldn't know. You haven't been here." She stood on her own and dusted herself off.

"Look, Grace, I'm sorry about all of this." He started.

"About what? Deciding to just up and leave without telling me where you were going? Or the fact that I heard another girl when I was on the phone with you?" The brunette stamped her feet angrily.

"Okay, I know you're upset, but-"

"I told you that I'm done with you, Adam! Just leave me alone!" Grace snarled and proceeded to walk away but Adam roughly gripped her upper arm and threw her to the wall, his wings unleashing and spanning over the two of them.

"Grace! Just hear me out, okay? I went to train with some friends of mine. That's all it was." Adam assured her but she struggled in his grip. "I was helping young Guardians to transition."

"I don't care! Get off me!" She beat his chest. His weight was suddenly lifted off her and she could see Damon yanking Adam off her by the back of his neck. The vampire threw the boy to the floor and snarled at him.

"Didn't your mommy ever tell you that no means no?" He snickered and looked to Grace. "You alright?" Grace opened her lips to speak, but Adam delivered a punch upside the vampire's face.

"Adam! Stop it!" She demanded.

"You still hang around with these blood suckers, Grace? Obviously me being gone didn't change much." The male Guardian growled.

Damon blurred to stand in front of Adam, clenching his fists. "You got a good punch, I'll give you that. But I believe Grace told you to back off."

"I don't take orders from vampires." Adam shoved him hard.

"Enough!" Grace's voice cut through the air and in a matter of seconds, the air in the room went dead before exploding, sending Adam and Damon across the room. Unknowingly, Grace's own wings had emerged and her hair swirled around her face. Her eyes turned dark, almost black and her wings flapped dangerously. "The both of you! Enough!"

"Grace, I-" Adam started.

"Leave!" Her voice was stern and warning. "Get out!" She screamed and the windows of the studio were blown in. Damon and Adam shielded themselves from the flying glass and the later scurried out of the studio. From where Damon was cowering, he could see the tips of Grace's wings turning black.

Damon carefully and cautiously stood, holding his hands up to show Grace that he wasn't a threat. "Hey, feathers. Just relax, I'm not here to hurt you." Her black eyes flicked to him and her face relaxed slightly. Damon had never seen her like this, these were not her normal Guardian powers. He reached a hand out and gently touched her arm and her dark demeanor diminished. The blackness on her wings retracted, becoming white once more and with one blink of her eyes, Grace's brown iris' were staring back at Damon. She took a moment to take in her surroundings and looked around confusedly.

"I..."

"Grace." Damon spoke softly and the Guardian's eyes rolled back in her sockets before her knees buckled. The vampire swiftly caught her, lowering her limp body down to the ground and trying to be mindful of her wings. He tapped her cheeks and could see that she was fighting consciousness. "Grace! Hey! Look at me!" Her eyes barely opened and he could make out that they were shifting between the midnight black and the doe brown. They fluttered closed and Damon dug her phone from out of her dance bag. He knew he'd regret calling this particular person, but he did anyways.

_"Grace?"_

"I would normally _never_ call you, but something's happened to Grace." He spoke into the phone.

The person on the other end of the phone was silent for a few moments before finally speaking back to the vampire. _"What have you done to my daughter, Damon?"_ Diana growled.

* * *

><p>"Tell me what happened again?" Diana asked for the millionth time as she placed a cool cloth on Grace's forehead. They rushed her to the boarding house and got her settled in her spare room.<p>

Damon rolled his eyes and sighed. "Adam came to see her at the dance studio and it was like she went nuclear."

"She let her anger get the best of her." She replied. "Unfortunately, Guardians always straddle the plane between good and evil. The dark and the light. What you saw today was the darkness." Damon looked down at Grace who was slowly waking up and thought he could never find an ounce of darkness in her, but today clearly showed it. "Listen, Damon. I'm sorry for shooting you the other night."

"No harm done. I heal up easy." Damon smirked.

"And for the vervain trick at the pageant." She added.

"Now, that one hurt." He quipped and she chuckled a little. "Well, I guess I deserved it. I did pretty much elude to the face that you were a bad mother."

"Sometimes I think I am, Damon. Her father was always better with and I ask myself each day what I could have done differently to make myself a better mother." Diana sighed and ran her hands over her face.

Grace's eyes moved beneath her eye lids and she blinked up at Damon and her mother. She tried to sit herself up, but she was still so weak. "Mom? Damon?"

"Easy, Grace." Her mother told her. "You had a little incident today."

"I...I remember. I was angry at Adam and then...I just blacked out." She recounted and looked to Damon. "You were there."

Damon smiled charmingly, exposing his pearly white teeth. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Better now." Grace smiled too and the vampire moved from the side of the bed.

"I'll give you two sometime alone." He told them and left the room.

Diana's eyes wandered around Grace's new room. "So, this is where you're staying now?"

"Yeah, it's a little old fashioned, but it's nice." Grace nodded and hugged her knees to her chest.

"He's a nice guy. Damon. He's the one who called me when you passed out." Her mother told her.

"I told you that not all vampires are bad, mom. Damon is just Damon." She said and her mother stood.

"I know you don't want to come home, but I miss you, Grace." She spoke and kissed her daughter on her forehead. Diana walked towards the door, but her daughter's gentle voice stopped her.

"Uhm, mom?" Grace called and Diana turned. "What did it feel like? Getting your powers taken away?" It was a question that had bothered her even since she learned about what she was. Diana gave her a lopsided frown and returned to her spot on the edge of the bed. She shrugged off her sweatshirt and showed Grace her back. Two slanted scars marred the skin over her shoulder blades, just where her wings would be. Her daughter ran her fingers over the marks before Diana faced her.

"It's like a surgery. You lie on your stomach and your wings are out. They say they numb you, but that's never the case. Each cut is worse than the last one. They have to make sure that each and every bone from the wings are removed or else you could run the risk of them growing back again." She explained and Grace shivered, unable to comprehend how her mother could go through that kind of pain.

"Why did you do it?" Grace asked quietly and Diana took a deep breath.

"Guardians bring attention to themselves, especially if they're powerful. I didn't want to put you in jeopardy, Grace. I had my powers taken away shortly after you were born. Thank god your father was there to help me." A small smile touched her lips. "I don't think I could have gotten through it without him."

"I miss him a lot." Grace blinked back tears.

"I know you do, sweetheart." Diana hugged her daughter tightly. "He would be so, so proud of you. I am too."

"I know you are, mom." She cried into her shoulder. "Even when you threaten and shoot my friends." She gave a little chuckle and so did her mother.

"I apologized to Damon about that." Diana pulled back and stroked Grace's cheek. "I'm going to head home, alright? You call me if you need anything."

Grace nodded and watched her mother leave before relaxing into her bed. She let out a deep sigh and sunk into her pillows. She held a much higher level of respect for her mother and it saddened her that she would give up something so special just to keep her safe. The young Guardian turned over onto her side and let her wings appear. They curled around her body, molding over her like a large, white, fluffy blanket. The feathers kept her warm and Grace snuggled under them. She could practically feel a nightmare about her mother's story coming on , so she hoped that feeling her own wings while she slept would guard her from any bad dreams.

* * *

><p>"Absolutely not!"<p>

"Damon, just listen to me."

"I'm not gonna give the device to Isobel so she could give it to John who is going to turn it to kill me. I like being a living dead person." The vampire argued.

"But it'll be useless, Bonnie can take its power away." Grace told him. The two of them were arguing about what to do with the vampire device. A couple days ago, Isobel had threatened Elena with hurting Matt by having one of her minions drop a trailer on his arm, snapping it like a twig. Overcome with guilt, Elena came to Grace to plead with her about the device.

_A couple of hours earlier_

_"I can't have anyone else get hurt, Grace." The brunette said._

_"I know. I was there when the trailer fell. But Damon isn't going to give the device to me." Grace told her._

_"Isobel mentioned something when I spoke to her..." Elena trailed off and Grace looked to her to continue. "She said that everyone is underestimating Damon's ability to care for you."_

_Grace let out a few chuckles. "Elena, this is Damon we're talking about. He's a vampire and besides, my aunt must be hitting the vamp blood a little hard for her to say something stupid like that."_

_"Well, ever since Adam left, you two have been really close." Elena nodded._

_"I just needed a friend, Elena, and Damon was there for me." Grace defended._

_"If he is as much of a friend as you say he is, he'll give you the device. Please, Grace, Isobel has Jeremy and...he's all I've got."_

Present Day

Damon looked to Bonnie, "I don't trust her."

"I can remove the original spell." The witch replied.

"John and Isobel will never know." Elena nodded.

"No, I'll get Jeremy in my own way." Damon reasoned.

It was now Stefan's turn to speak up. "Really? How are you going to do that? Because Isobel is a vampire and Jeremy could be dead the second you walk in the door."

The blue eyed vampire growled before directing his attention to Bonnie once more. "Are you even up for this? I mean no offense, you're no Emily Bennet. Emily knew what she was doing."

"I've been practicing." Bonnie stated.

"It's not piano lessons, honey." He remarked snidely.

"What's your favorite book?" She asked him and he wrinkled his nose.

"What?"

"Name a book, any book." She told him.

Damon thought about it for a moment, "Name a book…How about "Call of the Wild", Jack London?"

Bonnie turned and admired the large selection of books in the Salvatore library. Her eyes zeroed in on a particular book before it flew off the shelf and into Damon's hands. The vampire peered down at the book, pursing his lips. "Jack London. Great parlor trick."

Elena finally stood up and stared Damon down. "We're doing this, Damon. And we're doing it my way. Now give me the device. We're wasting time!"

"I don't trust you, I tried to kill you." Damon told the witch.

"You're right, you can't trust me." The witch hissed.

"As a matter of fact, I don't trust any of you." The vampire spat and grabbed his glass of bourbon, downing it and stalking out of the room. Elena moved to stomp after him, but Grace took her by the shoulder.

"I'll talk to him." She told the group and followed Damon up to his room. The book Bonnie had fetched for him was sitting on his bedside table and Grace picked it up, thumbing through the pages.

"You know, it's rude to sneak into people's rooms." Damon tutted from behind her and she whipped around.

"Call this payback for all of the times you've snuck into my room." She said and placed the book down.

"If you came here to get the device, don't bother." He replied gruffly.

"Please, Damon. I spoke with Bonnie and she swore to me that she'd un-spell the device." She begged.

"And what if she's lying? I'm not going to place my life over some girly pact you three girls made at a sleepover." Damon bit.

Grace sighed heavily. "I know you said downstairs that you can't trust anyone, Damon, but you can trust me. I know how important trust is to you and I've already betrayed it once before with the journal, but I won't do it again." She told him and his blue eyes peered through her but he could find no fault in her. Grace had promised Elena she'd do this for Jeremy and made sure that Bonnie would keep her word and perform the spell. Damon then reached into his pocket and pulled out the famed device and took Grace's hand. He placed the device in her palm before gently closing her fingers around it. She beamed up at him, but he still didn't look convinced. "Thank you, Damon."

Grace and Damon had joined everyone back downstairs. Elena and Stefan exchanged glances between one another, in shock that Grace was able to get Damon to hand over the device. The young Guardian handed the compass to Bonnie and she performed the spell. The group watched her as the device floated in the air and the witch murmured her incantation over it. After a few moments, she stopped the spell and handed it back to Grace.

"Done." She told her simply.

"Great." Damon deadpanned. "Now what?"

"Now we give it to Isobel." Grace said.

* * *

><p>That night, Elena and Grace were waiting for Isobel in the town square. The Guardian kept her hand in her jacket pocket, her fingers curled around the device as if to keep it safe.<p>

"Where is the device?" Isobel spoke from behind them.

Elena whirled around and so did Grace. "Where is my brother?"

Isobel remained stone faced. "This isn't a negotiation. Where is the invention?"

"Where is my brother?" Elena asked heatedly.

"It seems I'm asking the wrong person for what I want." The vampire looked to Grace whose face was stern and unwavering. "Gracie, sweetheart. Give Aunt Isobel the device." She cooed.

"I'm not giving you anything. aunt Isobel, until you tell us where Jeremy is." She spat dangerously.

Isobel's eyes switched between the two girls. "Do you really think that I came alone?" The girls raised an eyebrow but saw two of Isobel's minions appear.

"Did you really think that we came alone?" Grace replied with a smirk and Damon and Stefan arrived behind Isobel.

"For god sakes," Isobel huffed. "Call home."

"What?" Elena hissed.

"Call home and ask to speak to your brother Jeremy." She instructed. Hurriedly, Elena took out her phone and called her brother. They exchanged words for a few moments and Elena could rest easy that Jeremy was alright.

"You were never gonna hurt him." Grace spoke. "You were bluffing this whole time!"

"No, I was going to kill him. Don't look for any redeeming qualities in me, girls. I don't have any." Isobel said solemnly and Grace frowned.

"But you took a risk with Damon. How did you know that he was gonna give it to me?" She asked her aunt.

"Because he's in love with you." The female vampire spoke at that stopped Grace dead in her tracks. "Don't act like you didn't know, Grace. Or did you think that vampires don't have the capacity to care?" She added with a smirk and held out her hand, gesturing for the device. Grace's eyes met Damon's and heat rose up in her cheeks before averting her eyes away from his. The Guardian dug inside her pocket, still numb from Isobel's words and produced the device, placing it in Isobel's hand.

"Thank you." Elena spoke up.

Isobel raised an eyebrow. For what?"

"For being such a monumental disappointment. It keeps the memory of my real mother perfectly intact." She told her darkly.

"Goodbye, girls. As long as you both have a Salvatore on your arm, you're doomed. Especially you, Grace." The young Guardian's eyes stared back at her aunt. "Adam, your mother, and any other ones of your kind will turn their backs on you for siding with vampires. I bet your own father is even disgusted with you. Poor fool must be rolling in his grave."

An ember of fire appeared at Isobel's feet and the vampire jumped back, knowing that fire was her ultimate enemy besides the sun. But with each backward step, the fire extinguished and grew closer until enclosing Isobel in a ring of flames. "You are no longer my family, Isobel." Grace told the trembling vampire. "Get the hell out of this town. You're not welcome here." With that, the flames were gone was so was Isobel and her minions. Grace's fists finally unclenched and her body grew slack, exhausted from the stress of the past few days.

"Grace?" Elena placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

"I'm fine." She mumbled and stalked off, making sure to hide her face from Damon's prying eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Hmm, so Damon's in love with Grace and Adam is back in town. Trouble in paradise?<strong>

**Please review :)**


	25. Founder's Day

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 25: Founder's Day**

**Beta:**** un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

* * *

><p>"Ouch! This dress hurts!" Elena bellyached.<p>

Grace yanked at the brunette's corset strings once more. "Suck it in, girly. Although, you have nothing to suck in. Skinny Minnie." She pulled again before trying it in a nice, neat knot. "Perfect!"

"I don't know how girls wore these dresses back then." She whined and wiggled around in her giant 1800's gown.

"I think it's romantic." Grace spoke dreamily. She really admired the gown Elena was wearing, she kind of wished that Elena would go missing and would have to take her place on the Miss Mystic Falls float.

"I'm glad you think so," Elena stated sarcastically.

"Are you okay after everything last night?" Grace asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Elena rushed around the room to grab her shoes. "What about you?"

"I'm just sorry that I had to push her out of my life like that." The young Guardian shrugged. "I mean, she is my mom's sister."

"No, not about Isobel. I meant about Damon." She clarified and Grace felt that tell-tale knot in her stomach again.

"Isobel is bluffing. Damon's not in love with me." She shook her head.

"Well, there's something going on between you two." Elena slipped on her shoes, trying not to fall down in the process.

"He just likes to flirt, Elena. It's nothing." Grace shook it off but was fighting a blush that was currently rising in her cheeks.

"And you flirt back. Look, why don't you just go talk to him about it?" She inquired.

"Me? Talk to Damon? Ha! That's a laugh Elena!" Grace muttered sarcastically. "I'm not just going to be like: "Oh hey, Damon! By the way, do you really love me?" I won't allow myself to get hurt by him. I was already hurt by Adam and that's enough."

Elena grimaced at the mention of the older Guardian. "I know. I'm sorry Grace."

"It's okay. It's his loss, right?" Grace smirked from ear to ear.

* * *

><p>"No, no, no, no, no! It's all wrong! The marching band should be in front of the historic society." Mrs. Lockwood reprimanded her helpers. "Matt, get up on the float. Boys, I asked you to put chairs on the Founder's float. Ladies! Time to get on the float." Everyone scattered and Grace joined some girls who were finishing up to paint the side of a float.<p>

"Jeez, Lockwood is really in a bad mood." Taylor muttered.

"Shh, I don't think we're allowed to talk while we work." Grace joked and began to paint. As her paintbrush stroked the canvas, she felt _his_ presence near her.

"Hey Grace." He greeted her.

"Leave me alone, Adam." She grumbled and turned to busy herself with some other things.

"I'm sorry about the other day in the dance studio." Adam spoke but Grace wasn't interested. "If you would've given me a chance to speak-"

"I didn't want you to speak. I didn't want to hear anything that you had say yesterday and I don't want to hear anything you have to say today." She hissed. "Now, do you mind? I have to get this stuff finished before the parade." With that, she picked up a paint brush from the bucket but the wooden stick flew backwards from her hand and landed into Adam's. Grace scowled at him and finally realized that there was a woman by his side. She was taller than Grace, standing at about 5 feet 6 inches with strawberry blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail. She had fair skin and little freckles dusted her cheeks. Her brown eyes narrowed at Grace as if to take in everything about her. "I'm listening." The young Guardian finally spoke.

"Do you remember when you first discovered your powers?" He asked her and she nodded. "Do you remember how hard it was to control them? Well, I was helping Guardians like you, Grace, grow into their new powers."

Grace crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed. "Do you really expect me to believe that? What about that other girl?"

"That was me." The blonde by his side finally spoke up.

"Grace, this is Violet. She's a friend of mine." Adam introduced the two but neither of them moved to shake each other's hands.

"So, you're the Guardian that runs with the vampires. It's nice to finally meet the other girl." Violet quipped and Grace's eyes darkened.

"Well, at least I was the first girl." The young Guardian spat. "And leave my friends out of this!"

"You think those leeches are your friends? You are turning your back on your own kind, Grace." Violet told her.

Grace looked to Adam who was standing stoically behind Violet. "So, you found another girl just because I'm friends with vampires?"

"Grace-"

"Yes, he did." The girl spoke up over Adam. "Guardians don't take lightly to the fact when other Guardians socialize with vampires."

"What is this then? A cult?" Grace hissed. "She brainwashed you."

"No, I didn't!" Violet growled. "He finally sees that vampires are scum. And you are still friends with them even though they killed his mother in cold blood." That made Grace freeze up. "You're just as bad as the vampires."

"Vi, that's enough." Adam growled huskily.

Violet smirked and laced her fingers with Adam's. "Fine. Well, it was nice to finally meet you, Grace. Enjoy the fireworks." Grace didn't reply, but the look on Violet's face when she mentioned the fireworks was something that made her uneasy. It was like Violet knew something, a little secret, a dangerous secret.

* * *

><p>Following the parade, Grace helped Elena to change out of her huge dress and they hurried on over to the Grill to grab a bite to eat. On the way, Elena filled Grace in that Jeremy read her diary and he was sore at Elena for lying to him. While Elena was ordering, Jeremy happened to shove past Grace, almost knocking her over.<p>

"Sorry," He muttered.

"Look, Jeremy..." Grace gently took his upper arm but he yanked it away.

"Don't talk to me." The teen spat.

"I know you're angry, but-"

"I don't know who is worse. You or Elena." Jeremy told her and Grace actually flinched.

The young Guardian shoved Jeremy's shoulders roughly, "Listen, you little brat! Elena hid these things from you because they could hurt you!"

Jeremy rubbed his shoulder and scowled. "You can go to hell, Grace." He stalked off, leaving Grace to curse at herself.

"You should have lit him on fire." Damon chuckled as he waltzed up to her.

"He has every right to be angry." Grace told him.

"But not at you." He shook his head and took a sip of his bourbon, he needed some liquid courage. "Uh, listen...about what Isobel said last night."

Grace laughed nervously, "It's fine, Damon. You don't have to explain it." She saw him grimace a little and saw the pain behind his eyes, but chose to ignore it.

"Oh, alright. I'll go...talk to Jeremy." The vampire moved past her and she immediately wanted to turn herself around and call Damon to come back.

* * *

><p>Jonathan Gilbert tossed around the pocket watch in his hands while the other part of the device rested on the table. On the outside, he looked calm, cool, and collected. His fingers twisted the compass, the pads running over the intricate design as two people joined him.<p>

"You ready for this, John?" One of them, a female asked.

The older man nodded, "Are you?"

"Born ready. Just tell us what we have to do." She said.

"Once the device is turned on, it will emit I high pitched frequency that humans cannot hear. Any vampire within reasonable distance of his noise will be incapacitated. The Sheriff's deputies will inject them with vervain and they will be brought here." He told the pair.

"Then what?" The male spoke up.

"You two will meet me here and finish the job." Jonathan said and the male seemed to be uncomfortable with that. "You better be sure that you can handle this."

The female immediately spoke up for him, "We can handle this, John. I wouldn't worry about us. If I were you, I'd worry about how your daughter will feel once you incapacitate her boyfriend."

Jonathan's jaw tensed at that and narrowed his eyes. "And you two should make certain that Grace does not try to interfere."

"Done. I can take care of her." The woman smirked.

* * *

><p>"Grace, I need to talk to you." Adam ran up to her with Violet in tow.<p>

"Here to annoy me some more?" The girl grumbled.

"We don't have a lot of time to explain, but the tomb vampires are planning an attack tonight." He told her and she stopped in her tracks.

"What? Why?" She looked between the two of them.

"They want revenge on the town for what happened in 1864." Adam explained and Violet nodded.

"It's true. We heard some of them talking." She said.

"So, what do we do?" Grace asked them.

"We don't do anything." Adam spoke. "We have to get out of here, Grace. They're planning on killing everyone."

"But we have to help the town." Grace fought. "We can't just run."

"We have to. The three of us aren't strong enough to hold them off." Violet said with a frown.

"So, what can we do?" The young Guardian sighed.

"We told the Sheriff and she's handling it. The Mayor knows too. This town is in good hands, Grace." He consoled. "Just please listen to me when I tell you that you have to go home now."

Grace opened and closed her mouth a dozen times as she tried to find some kind of response that would fit the situation but she came up empty handed. The town was in danger and there wasn't a thing anyone could do about it. She couldn't possibly imagine that the Sheriff and her deputies could hold off all those tomb vampires. "Adam, I-"

"Please, Grace. Just get home. We'll be fine. I'll let you know as soon as I'm home, but you have to get out of here." With a gentle nudge, he pointed her in the direction of her car and Grace took off running.

* * *

><p>The crowds of people were on the move to get a great viewing spot for the fireworks and Grace found herself being pushed and shoved around in the massive heard. Her mind was racing as she tried to figure out where she parked her car. Unexpectedly, she tripped over her feet and went plummeting to the ground when a strong arm held her waist.<p>

"I don't know how you're a dancer. You can barely walk on your own two feet." Damon set her down as they continued to move through the crowd. Grace tried to keep a few paces ahead of him to try and avoid any means of awkward conversation when he gripped her hand tightly.

"What are you doing?" He stared back at her.

"Saving your life. Fifteen words or less - tomb vamps are here, founding families are their target." He explained quickly. "That means you're at risk."

"How did you know about the tomb vampires?" She asked him.

"That's more than fifteen words." The vampire chided. "Wait, how did you know about them?"

"Adam told me. He said that he told the Sheriff and she's handling it." Grace told him.

"And now I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Elena: get out of here now." He squeezed her hand firmly before letting it go and breaking away from her.

"Damon, wait!" She called and tried to follow him, but she was swept up in the throngs of people.

* * *

><p>The Mayor was now speaking at the podium, addressing the entire town and Grace's vision slightly blurred at the vision of popping fireworks and a burning inferno. Her head throbbed and she groaned out, trying to block the sights out but they kept reoccurring. In the distance, she saw Elena, Stefan, and Alaric hurriedly leaving the grounds when the Mayor spoke into the microphone.<p>

"Enjoy the show!" Everyone then applauded as fireworks screamed and shot up, exploding in an array of stunning colors across the night sky. Grace happened to catch the eyes of some people in the crowd who looked very suspicious. She held her breath. The tomb vampires were among them.

* * *

><p>"Did you two do what I asked?" Jonathan asked Violet and Adam as they reentered the office of his late brother.<p>

They both nodded. "Easy as pie." Violet smiled while Adam just seemed in different to the whole idea. "The Mayor started the fireworks. Let's get moving."

"Patience, Violet." Jonathan tisked as he set up the device on the counter space. The door was suddenly pushed open as Damon snuck in. "Damon, it's so nice of you to join us."

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" The raven haired vampire growled menacingly.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do." John gave a small smile. "I assume you know Adam and this is his friend Violet. They are here to help me with this"

Damon's blue eyes were burning a hole into Adam. "You son of a-" He couldn't even finish as John flicked the device on and Damon started to scream. He fisted his hair and called out as his ears rung with the high pitched frequency. The trio watched him writhe in agony until he crumpled to the floor, completely unconscious.

* * *

><p>A rough hand suddenly threw Grace to the ground and she stared up at one of the tomb vampires. He was snarling and snapping his teeth just like his fellow mates who were terrorizing some other members in the town square. Grace was just ready to use her powers when that high pitched noise entered her ears. It wasn't as loud as it was in her vision, if anything it sounded more like a dog whistle to her, but to the vampire it was loud and incessant. The creature shook his head and fell to his knees, grunting as the noise was practically making his ears bleed. In a matter of seconds, one of the Sheriff's deputies injected him with vervain in the side of his neck. Very discretely, the deputy took the unconscious vampire and dragged him away. The noise still continued when Grace saw a vision of Elena's uncle John flicking the device on and the high pitched sound was what was aggravating the vampires. The Guardian's bottom lip quivered when she finally put two and two together. Bonnie lied about un-spelling the device because she wanted these vampires to be put down, including Stefan and Damon. She jumped up off the ground, ignoring a deputy who had asked her if she was alright and ran off to find either Stefan or Damon.<p>

* * *

><p>"The device is done; the only thing keeping them down is vervain. We don't have much time. Let's finish this." John told the deputies as they dragged in unconscious vampires and brought them downstairs. Adam and Violet grabbed some vampires too, hauling them over their shoulders and dropping them unceremoniously on the cement floor.<p>

"That's all of them." Violet told John and he nodded.

"Excellent work, you two. You've done a great thing for this town." He spoke.

"Congratulate us when the job is done." She said and he looked around to the other deputies who were pouring gasoline on the vampires. As he moved to walk upstairs, a weak hand gripped the hem of his pants.

"Anna." He murmured to the weak vampire. "You can head up. I'll take it from here." He told the deputies and they promptly left.

"What do we do with this one?" Violet questioned, keeping her eyes locked on Anna who was pleading with John for her life.

"Please...no..." Her begging was cut short when John staked her in the heart and Anna fell limp against the floor.

"Finish the job." John ordered as he jogged up the steps. The two Guardians let flames emerge from the palms of their hands and they jumped down to mix with the gasoline. Soon, the entire basement was engulfed in a hot inferno and the Guardians took their leave. Vampires let out groans and shrieks of pain as they literally burned alive.

Damon Salvatore lay on his back, eyes wide open as he just took a moment to digest what he just saw. Adam and Violet were working with John in a plan to get rid of the vampires in town and Bonnie lied about the device. With much effort, he rolled himself over, away from the flames and sat himself up against a pole. His body was too weak to move and he knew that he would soon be a goner as the sounds of moans grew louder as the fire grew stronger.

* * *

><p>Grace ran as fast as her feet would carry her when she heard the invention shut off. She came to a halt and doubled over, her lungs burned and she panted, trying to get some much needed air into her lungs. She heard chattering just below her and Grace peered over to see Stefan, Elena and Alaric hiding in a sunken stairwell.<p>

"Grace!" Elena leapt up and threw her arms around her friend. "What's going on?"

"They...are rounding up...the...the vampires." She breathed and Elena's eyes widened. "One attacked me and they took him...to your family's old building."

"It's the Gilbert's device. It has to be." Stefan told them and Grace agreed.

"I had a vision with...John working it." She added.

Elena shook her head, her eyebrows creasing. "But how did he get it to work? Bonnie un-spelled it."

"Maybe she didn't." Alaric noted.

"She did. We saw her do it." Elena defended her witchy friend.

Stefan slowly stood on wobbly feet. "No, no, no he's right. Think about it. We asked Bonnie to deactivate a device that could protect people against vampires."

"So we could protect you." Elena hushed and the realization dawned over her that Bonnie just put on a lot of hocus pocus.

"And Damon. Vampires. Where is Damon?" Stefan asked and the knot in Grace's stomach tightened.

Alaric shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since this started."

"I told him that he could trust me." Grace murmured and ran her hands through her mused hair.

"This isn't your fault, Grace." Stefan told her.

Elena looked to Alaric. "Can you get my brother, take him home?"

"Of course." The history teacher nodded.

"Let's go." Elena, Stefan and Grace jumped out of their hiding place and hightailed it over to Grayson Gilbert's old building to see that it was in flames. Grace's subconscious was suddenly assaulted with scenes of Damon being trapped inside along with the other vampires.

"Oh my god, he's in there!" She told them worriedly as John approached them.

"I thought Adam told you to go home, Grace." He spoke sternly.

"Don't talk to me like you're my father!" She hissed.

"Maybe if your father was still around, you wouldn't be friends with vampires." John's voice was low and dark and Grace reared her arm back but Stefan caught it.

Grace fought against Stefan but he was too strong for her. "Don't you dare talk about my father that way! You asshole! I hate you!"

"Better keep quiet, or else the deputies will think that they missed another vampire." John threatened and Grace calmed down a little.

"You're crazy." Elena scowled.

John raised an eyebrow. "Why? Because I'm doing what should have been done a hundred and forty five years ago? This is the right thing." He happened to watch Stefan take a glance at the burning building. "Go ahead, you won't make it out. It'll save me the trouble of killing you myself." He taunted.

"Uncle John...dad, please." Elena whimpered and his face grew stone cold.

"You know..." He said.

"I wasn't sure, now I am." She stared him straight in the face. Father and daughter were now standing at a crossroads, Elena knew the truth about her real father and John had to own up to that. The man's eyes happened to trail off of Elena to see Stefan still standing there, but someone was missing.

"Where's Grace?" He asked and the couple whipped around, eyes wide to see that Grace was gone. Elena's heart stopped seeing the flames on the building rise a little more.

* * *

><p>"Damon!" Grace called through the chaos in the flaming basement. She was able to sneak away and get into the building through a utility door on the side. Getting down the fiery stairs was no problems since she could hold off the flames as she climbed down them, however she knew that her powers couldn't put out the entire fire. She had to be quick or else the entire building would cave in with her in it. Her wings shielded her from the strong fire as she looked around for the raven haired vampire. Something, or someone, gripped her ankle and yanked at her. Looking down, Grace could make out that it was a charred up vampire. Her wing curled forward and swung at him, effectively knocking him off her and she continued her search. The smoke was impossible to see through and it was clouding Grace's lungs but she swore that she wouldn't stop looking for Damon. Some wooden beams rumbled above her but she hardly took notice when she found Damon amongst the flames. He was untouched by the fire, but surround by flames, making it difficult for anyone to get to him. Grace used her powers to extinguish the flames around the vampire and ran to him, trying to pull him up.<p>

"Feathers?" He coughed.

"Damon, I'm sorry about the device! I didn't know! I swear!" She told him as she helped him to his feet.

"Let's get out of here first!" He said and hobbled around towards the stairs with her. A creaking board fell from the ceiling and struck Grace's right wing on the bone. She fell to the ground as the board was heavy enough to pin her wing down.

"Damon!" Stefan joined them after pleading with Bonnie to let him in. Both vampires worked to get the board of Grace's wing when she suddenly heard the moaning and groaning of the ceiling above.

Before she could even vocalize what she wanted to say, she shoved both brothers out of the way just as the ceiling caved in. Wooden boards and heavy bricks separated the brothers from the Guardian and the later was squished under a pile of rubble.

"No! No, no, no! Please! Someone help me! Damon! Stefan!" She screamed and tried to move herself but she was immobilized. "Bonnie! Elena! Get me out of here!" Her shouts were swallowed up by the fire and she could feel her body shutting down from being asphyxiated by the thick smoke. Grace gave a final few screams of defeat before passing out and smacking her head against the cement floor.

* * *

><p>"Bonnie! Please, you have to let Stefan get in there!" Elena begged.<p>

"I can't do it, Elena. Vampires have ruined this town." Bonnie shook her head. "I'm sorry that I lied, but I couldn't let you defend them."

"This is my brother we're talking about, Bonnie!" Stefan growled.

"And Grace is in there too!" The girl added and the witch frowned.

"What?"

"She must have gotten in there, but Bonnie, if you don't let me in she'll die and so will my brother." The green eyed vampire was pleading with her, he had to save Grace for Elena and Damon for himself.

Bonnie closed her eyes and begun to chant, the old Latin words making the door of the building swing open and the flames on the stairs were extinguished. Stefan took his chance and darted down the stairs, into the basement as Bonnie continued to chant.

Elena paced for what felt like hours outside the building, waiting for Stefan to emerge with Damon and Grace. She chewed her fingers and prayed that they would all get out alright. Part of her wished that she could go down into the basement, but she knew that she wouldn't make it out alive. Her prayers were answered when Stefan came outside with Damon limping by him but Grace's limp body in Stefan's arms made her heart drop into her stomach. "Oh my god! Grace!"

"The building started to collapse and she was trapped under it." Stefan explained as he gently laid her down on the ground.

"Feed her your blood, Stefan!" Elena pleaded with him but Damon shook his head.

"She won't take it. She won't take mine, so what makes you think she'd want yours." He told them.

Hesitating, Stefan split his wrist and placed it to Grace's lips. She stirred slightly and turned her head away, pressing her lips together. "No..." She whined.

"Grace, please drink." Elena begged.

"I...I don't want it! Get it away from me!" The Guardian fussed and made an effort to get up but terror crossed her face. "My...my legs. I can't feel my legs." She whimpered as tears streaked down her pale cheeks.

"Call an ambulance!" Elena ordered and stayed by Grace's side.

"I can't feel my legs!" Grace repeated and wiggled around.

"Grace, listen to me. You need to stay still." Stefan told her but she was in hysterics now, screaming the same thing over and over again.

"I need to report an accident. I have a young girl who is in a lot of pain." Alaric spoke into the receiver. "I don't know. I didn't see what happened."

"My legs! Tell them I can't feel them!" Grace screamed in agony and Stefan and Elena tried to keep her still.

"A beam fell on them." Damon finally spoke up. "They're probably broken."

"Yes, a beam fell on her legs and we need an ambulance now." Alaric told the dispatcher before hanging up and kneeling beside a still writhing Grace.

"Please, help me!" She begged them and clawed at Elena's arm.

"It's okay, Grace. Alaric called 911. They're on their way." Her cousin tried to console her.

Damon's pained eyes ran over the Guardian. She was bleeding from a few places, probably some deep scratches and her clothes were sooty from the fire. Her legs were still even though she tried to wiggle them experimentally. The vampire figured her legs were broken but she'd be in agonizing pain, not numbness. That worried him immensely and he never worried about anything. He draped his large hand over her tightly clenched fist and her watery eyes snapped up to meet his. "You'll be okay, feathers." His voice was soft and her fingers uncurled lacing with his. She was still sobbing of course, tears falling and lip quivering but she just squeezed Damon's hand for comfort.

* * *

><p>Hours later, the blue eyed vampire found himself at Grace's hospital bedside. Visiting hours were beyond over, so Damon had to sneak around, but it wasn't a problem for him. Damon ghosted his knuckles over Grace's cheek and she slightly stirred under his touch. A bandage sealed a cut on her forehead and her face, shoulders, and arms were covered with little scratches, bruises and burns. He was positive that if she had a few mouthfuls of his blood, she'd be okay, but he had to respect her choice. A wary hand gripped her blanket and lifted it carefully, both of her legs were bandaged tightly and he could feel that the skin was swelled immensely from the surgery she had to endure. Her legs were completely crushed by the pile that rested on top of her. From reading her chart, Damon learned that Grace now had metal plates, bolts and screws in her legs and the doctors expected her road to recovery to be long and rigorous. The young Guardian shifted slightly and Damon placed the blanket down, knowing Grace, she'd try to accuse him of sneaking a peek. Tired and worn brown eyes peered up at him from under heavy dark lashes and a little smile tugged at her lips.<p>

"Hi." She whispered. Her throat was so dry and scratchy.

"Hey you." He sat on the edge of her bed.

"How do I look?" She asked him.

Damon's lips twitched in a little smirk. "You look beautiful, Grace." Most people would disagree with him, the cuts and bruises weren't too deep that they would scare, but she'd have to live with them for a while. Damon thought that even though she was battered, she was a beautiful girl.

"I wish I felt like it." Grace groaned and slightly shifted in her bed. "I must be on the best meds in the world because I'm so doped up right now." Grace giggled. "I don't even know what they did to me. All I remember was being asleep."

"Why'd you come after me?" He leaned closer to her.

Grace shrugged but even that hurt. "I'm a Guardian, it's my job."

His hand reached out to push some hair out of her eyes. "Grace, you could have died."

"So could you." She replied simply. "I guess I just wanted you to trust me even after Bonnie lied about the device."

"I'll take care of witchy later." Damon grumbled.

The Guardian's eyes found her bed sheets and her fingers wrapped around the cloth, pulling at it a little. "What did the doctors say?" Damon's throat tightened, he didn't want to answer.

"It doesn't matter what they said. You'll be okay, Grace. That's all that matters." He told her softly and wiped a little tear that fell down her cheek. "I know that you didn't want to talk earlier about what Isobel said, but I do." Her brown eyes stared back at him in shock but he let him speak. "Grace...I-"

"Grace!" Elena peeked in the doorway and Damon growled to himself, unable to get a moment alone with someone cramping his style. "Oh my..."

"It's okay, Elena. I'll be okay." Grace smiled to Damon who grinned a little too.

* * *

><p>Elena and Damon had left Grace's room after a while as per her eyes drooping slightly and decided that Grace needed all the rest she could get. She had no concept of time but her eyes looked at all of the equipment that she was hooked up to. An IV was in her arm and an oxygen tube was up her nose. Nestled in her hand was a call button for more medication that would be dispensed through her IV. Internally, she didn't feel anything, she guessed it was probably the pain medication. Her skin, however, was itchy and the soft blankets rubbed her limbs the wrong way, making her whimper out.<p>

She caught a movement out in the hallway and looked to see Damon standing with Elena. They were still here? Elena's hair was still curled from the festivities today and she lightly touched Damon's arm, seeing that he was upset with everything that happened. Or, that's what Grace assumed. She couldn't hear much, all she could see where mouths moving but no sounds followed.

Elena leaned in closer to Damon and cupped his cheeks lovingly, much like how a lover would console a lover. Grace's vision was blurring but she willed herself to just stay awake for a little while longer. Something wasn't right. Ever so slowly, Elena pulled Damon's lips onto hers, claiming them in a sweet kiss and Grace felt her heart breaking as she lay in the hospital bed. She...she thought that Damon...no. And Elena was supposed to be her friend! Friends don't go around kissing their friends crushes! Damon's lips moved against Elena's and Grace fought the urge to sob. Instead, she let the smallest tears run down her cheeks and with a shaky hand, she gripped the call button for her medication. She slammed her thumb down on the button multiple times and Grace could feel the wonderfully numbing effects of her meds enter her bloodstream. She blinked a few more watery tears from her eyes before letting herself fall into a medically induced sleep.

* * *

><p>Elena pulled away and smiled coyly up at Damon. She gave him one last sweet kiss on the lips.<p>

"Remember Damon, I'm here for you." She told him and he nodded numbly, still in shock that she had kissed him. He recalled coming to the hospital to see Grace and see if she'd take his blood when he ran into Elena. The vampire expressed his guilt to her and she listened intently, much like how Elena always devoted her attention to friends in need. Some words of comfort were exchanged here and there and before Damon knew it, Elena was full on kissing him.

Damon touched a finger to his lips before peering into Grace's hospital room. She was asleep and he noticed that her hand was clutching that pain pump._She must be in a lot of pain,_ he thought and kissed her forehead gently. He had tried to tell Grace how he really felt, but that plan was foiled wonderfully by Elena coming in here and kissing him. Damon sincerely hoped that Grace hadn't seen that.

If only he knew.

* * *

><p><strong>Finally reached the end of Season 1! So, Adam and Violet were in on the plans to put down the vampires, Grace is injured, Damon never got to explain his real feelings and Elena kissed Damon! Or did she? Hehe ;)<strong>

**Please review!**


	26. The Return

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 26: The Return**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Grace and my story.**

* * *

><p>The following morning, Damon arrived at the hospital bright and early to visit Grace. She had been on his mind all night, and while he tried to sleep, he was plagued with nightmares of her screaming and engulfed in flames. The vampire zipped down the hallway and to her room to find Diana sitting hunched over in a chair by Grace's bed. She gripped her daughter's hand tightly, rubbing her thumb over the back as she cried silently. Grace was asleep, her chest lightly rising and falling with each breath she took. Damon frowned deeply and decided that they should have a moment alone when he saw Elena and Bonnie coming down the hallway. His heart jumped slightly remembering that Elena kissed him and he couldn't help but feel drawn to her.<p>

"How is Caroline feeling?" Elena asked the witch.

"She's weak. They don't know if she's going to make it." She replied gravely.

"What?" The brunette's eyes were wide and she embraced Bonnie tightly. They were friends with Caroline since they were in kindergarten and it frightened the both of them that there was a possibility of Caroline dying because of the car accident she was in last night. "Isn't there something that you can do? Like a spell or something?" She pulled away as Damon met them.

"She doesn't know how, do you?" Damon peered down at the witch.

Bonnie grumbled. "No, I don't."

"No, you don't because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that." He told her.

"Well, I can take down a vampire, that spell was easy to learn," she growled at the vampire and he almost flinched slightly. "What about Grace? I heard about what happened to her."

"She was rushed into surgery last night but she's in critical condition now," Elena replied.

"I can give them both some blood," Damon offered.

Elena shook her head vigorously. "No. No way."

"Just enough to heal them. They'll be safe in the hospital and it will be out of their systems in a day. They'll be better, Elena."

"It's too risky, I can't agree to that." The brunette fought. "And what about Grace? You said last night that she doesn't want to drink vampire blood."

"Then I'll shove it down her throat," the vampire replied with a growl.

"Do it." Bonnie suddenly cut in and both vampire and human stared back at her in shock. "This is Caroline and Grace we're talking about. We can't let them die. Do it."

Damon looked to Bonnie. "If I do this, you and me, call a truce?"

"No." She replied simply. "But you'll do it anyway. For Grace." With that, the witch left, off to check on Caroline's condition.

"I know this is probably the last thing you want to do right now but we should talk about what happened last night."

Elena nodded and ran her hands over her tired face. "Yeah, one of the tomb vampires got into the house and almost killed John."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "What? When? What are you talking about? After you left?

"Left where?" She asked.

"Come on, Elena. After you left the hospital last night." Damon told her but she just looked back at him with a confused look on her face.

"When was I at the hospital?" The brunette didn't really know what Damon was getting at. "I came home last night after the ambulance took Grace to the hospital."

Damon rolled his eyes, "Look, last night we both came to visit Grace. We were talking and I told you how I felt guilty about what happened to Grace. Come on, we _kissed_, Elena." He finished with a growl but Elena was still clueless.

"Okay, I don't have time for this Damon." Elena ran her hand through her hair. "I'm going to see Grace."

Damon lightly gripped her arm as she walked past him. "Don't play dumb with me, Elena." He was ready to assault her with his words once more, but Jenna rushing down the hallway stopped him. The vampire unhanded Elena and moved away, still glaring at her.

"Elena, I came as soon as I got your message. How is John?" Her aunt asked her.

"Where have you been?" She asked.

"At the fire department. I had to fill out a report. I told you earlier." Jenna replied.

Elena raised an eyebrow. "No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did." She nodded.

"No, Jenna. You didn't."

"Yes, I did."

While the two women bickered, a light bulb went off in the vampire's head. Elena wasn't suffering from a bad case of amnesia, _someone else_ was in town.

"Man, you've _got_ to be kidding me."

* * *

><p>The young Guardian had woken up and felt strangely refreshed after her coma she placed herself into last night. She blinked a couple of times, ridding the sleep from her eyes and yawned. Grimacing, Grace pulled the blanket back to see that the swelling in her legs went down dramatically. She gently patted her bandages to make sure she wasn't hallucinating<p>

"How are you feeling?" Adam's voice reached her ears and she looked to see him sitting in a chair near the wall. "Your mom went downstairs to check you out of here. The doctors are amazed at how well you're doing."

"You...you healed me?" Grace stammered.

Adam nodded. "I did all that I could, Grace, but your injuries are still really bad. Hopefully what I did will cut down your recovery time."

Grace slowly sat up in her lumpy hospital bed, eyeing her legs. The bandages made her frown but her nicely pedicured toes were uncovered. The young Guardian wiggled one of her big toes and then gradually wiggled the other ones. She smiled at that but when she tried to move her legs, she flinched and hissed out at the sharp pains that ran up them.

"Ouch." Her eyes watered.

"You need to take it easy for a while." Adam told her and rose from his chair to wheel over a wheelchair to the edge of the bed. "That means no dancing."

"Ugh, just stab me in the heart why don't you?" She groaned as Adam helped her out of bed and into the wheelchair. He held her around the waist tightly and did all of the moving for her. Gently, he eased her into the chair and made sure she was all settled.

"Your mom is waiting downstairs." He spoke and Grace lifted her arms to placed her hands on the wheels of the chair. She gave an experimental push and she rolled forward a few inches.

"At least I'll get those nice arms I always wanted from wheeling myself around." Grace chuckled as she wheeled herself out of the room and down the hallway with Adam by her side. She spied Elena and Damon talking and none of them seemed to be pleased with one another. Grace's stomach dropped and she decided to wheel past them, not wanting to look at either of them right now.

* * *

><p>Grace let herself sink into her own mattress as Adam worked on her legs. His warm hands passed over the bandages, an amber glow emitting from them. It felt nice, almost like she was getting a massage. The muscles and tendons in her legs relaxed dramatically and Grace didn't feel pain anymore.<p>

"Thanks again for doing this for me." She spoke and he smiled.

"No problem. I just don't know why my powers are being deflected a little." He concentrated on her legs again but his normally strong powers weren't coming off as strong as they should have. "You said that just your legs were injured?"

The young Guardian nodded but remembered something else from that night. Grace unwrapped her wings from her back and her right one twinged painfully. It lay twisted and bent at an unnatural angle and the young Guardian couldn't even bend it. "A beam fell on it...I guess it's broken too."

"That's why," Adam mused.

"That's why, what?" She raised an eyebrow.

"When a Guardian injures one of their wings, their ability to heal is almost rendered useless." He told her. "I can't even heal it. A broken wing has to heal on its own."

"So...what can I do for it?" Grace asked him.

"Nothing." He frowned. "It's like if you break your ribs, the doctor can't do anything about it. You just have to give it time."

"Then how about you heal my legs then?"

Adam shook his head. "I can't do that either. I mean, I can, but you won't heal as quickly since your body recognizes that your wing has to be healed first."

Grace sighed and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes gathered with tears and she desperately tried to suck them down. "I...I don't think I can do this."

"Yes, you can, Grace." Adam leaned forward and took her hands, squeezing them. "You have to."

"I just feel hopeless," she whimpered and swiped away a runaway tear.

"You can't think like that. You need to keep going and take this whole thing day by day." He pulled her into his arms and embraced her tightly. Grace finally let the brunt of her emotions go. She sobbed loudly into Adam's chest. Her tears hit his shirt like bullets as she trembled in his hold. It wasn't just her legs that made her lose it. Her heart still ached uncomfortably for Damon and it pained her to see Elena go behind her back and kiss him.

* * *

><p>The young Guardian wheeled up to the doorway of the Lockwood mansion and waited in the line to greet Tyler and Mrs. Lockwood. Grace fiddled with her long black dress and made sure that it would cover her bandages and her plain black flats. She was embarrassed of her legs and didn't want anyone to see them even though she was already the talk of the town. Everyone knew about her unfortunate incident, however they didn't know the real story. It was said that Grace took a terrible fall down a flight of stairs. Grace hated that cover; it made her seem like the clumsiest person in the world even though she knew that she was up there on the list.<p>

The line progressed and soon, Grace was at the front of it. Mrs. Lockwood had gone, but Tyler was still greeting guests. She gave him a sympathetic smile and Tyler bent down to embrace her.

"I'm so sorry about your father, Tyler." She told him.

The boy peered down at her. "I'm more sorry about what happened to you."

"It's no big deal. Leave it to me to fall down a set of stairs." She tried to laugh about it, but it was the most ridiculous cover.

"You always were clumsy." Tyler chuckled.

"I guess so. I heard about Caroline, but I didn't get a chance to see her before I left the hospital. How is she doing?" Grace asked.

"The doctors don't know how she pulled through so well. They're calling it a medical miracle." He spoke.

"Wow! That's really great!" The young Guardian smiled and an older gentleman stood beside Tyler.

"Your mom's looking for you." He told him. His voice was deep and he looked to be slightly older than Tyler. He had large arms that stretched the material of his white button down shirt and his dark hair was slightly tousled. His blue/green eyes dance with a little bit of youth behind them.

"Now?" Tyler whined and the man nodded. "Ugh, fine. See you later, Grace." He told the girl, leaving the pair alone.

"Sorry about him." The man spoke up.

Grace shrugged a little. "Leave him be. He's grieving in his own way."

"I'm Mason, Tyler's uncle." Mason outstretched his hand and Grace took it.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Grace. I'm a friend of Tyler's." She replied.

"Well, Grace, please come inside." He ushered her in and she wheeled over the threshold. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I would ask for a glass of white wine but it mixes with my medication." She quipped and Mason let out a loud chuckle.

"Yeah, you're kinda the talk of the town." He said.

"I guess hearing about a girl falling down a set of stairs in this town is considered entertainment." The Guardian rolled her eyes.

"That's what I hate about this town. Everyone's a little too closely knit." Mason grabbed Grace a cup and poured some water into it. "That's why I picked up and left for a while."

Grace took the cup from him and nodded her thanks. "You were lucky enough to get out of here?"

"Yeah, I was in Florida for a while," he replied with a smile.

"Ah, so that's why you look like a surfer dude." She giggled.

Mason smirked and ran a hand through his hair. "Am I that obvious?"

"Kinda," she beamed. "Man, I wish I could get out of here. My mom and I left for a while after my dad died, but we ended up moving back here."

Mason noticed the frown on her face and the drop in her voice. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks." The Guardian smiled up at him. "I'm going to go find Carol, but it was nice meeting you, Mason."

"You too, Grace." He gave her a wolfish smile and she wheeled off, however she found it difficult to do so with a glass of water in her hands, so she left it on a table nearby. She was met with stares and whispers from people in the mansion but she just pushed her wheelchair through the lines of people.

A tap on her shoulder made her turn and her blood boiled seeing Elena standing there. She was dressed in all black and her hair was in curls.

"Hi Grace." She smiled. "I didn't know you left the hospital."

"Yeah, Adam took me home." The Guardian replied simply.

"What's wrong? You okay?" Elena picked up that the girl in the chair was uncomfortable. Grace didn't answer but a look of realization crossed her face. "I know why you're mad. It's because I kissed Damon, right?"

Grace's brown eyes snapped up to meet Elena's. "I..."

"It's okay, Grace. I was talking to Damon last night at the hospital and he told me that he felt bad about having to let you down easy because he has feelings for me." Elena explained.

"But, what about Stefan? You're in love with Stefan." The girl said. Elena's lips pulled into a wry smirk and it made Grace even more uncomfortable. The Guardian knew that this girl in front of her wasn't Elena. "Katherine..." She trailed off.

The vampire nodded and leaned her hands on Grace's wheelchair. "Very good. Now, you're going to wheel yourself into one of the extra rooms." Grace felt her arms moving with a will of their own as she pushed the wheels and she was moving to a spare room in the mansion. She probably lost a lot of blood from the surgery and she wasn't wearing a vervain necklace. Katherine closed the door behind them and sauntered to meet Grace. "Well, well, well, if it isn't our little winged resident of Mystic Falls?"

"What do you want, Katherine?" Grace growled.

Katherine raised her hands up, still smirking. "I'm just getting myself acquainted with everyone in town."

"You were at the hospital with Damon last night." She accused with a wagging finger and Katherine just smirked.

"He is quite the kisser." She bit her bottom lip and Grace felt her anger rush into her cheeks. "You know, I hear that people are amazed that you're up and walking after your accident. Well, not exactly." The vampire quipped.

"What can I say? I'm a fast healer." Grace watched the vampire curiously.

Katherine took a knife from out of her jacket and twirled it around. "It would be such a shame to have you relapse." Her brown eyes locked onto Grace's and her pupils dilated. "You are going to take this knife and rip out your stitches till you bleed out." With watery eyes, Grace took the knife in her hand and her fingers curled around the hilt of the weapon. She whimpered and raised the knife up. "Oh no, no. Don't scream or say anything." Katherine cooed in a sickeningly sweet manner, making silent tears run down her cheeks. Grace rose the knife high, thrust it into her thigh, and the Guardian let out a pained whimper. Her vocal chords rubbed together, desperate to make a louder noise, but Katherine's compulsion wouldn't allow it. Blood flowed from the wound and stained her dress a dark red color. Grace felt the stitches tearing and when she brought the knife down again, metal brushed metal as the blade made contact with a plate in her leg. Grace removed the knife and her stomach curdled at the sickening sound. Just as Grace raised the knife again, the door behind Katherine burst open and Bonnie and Stefan were standing by the door.

"Stefan." Katherine smirked to the younger Salvatore.

"Katherine," he greeted coldly. "Let her go."

The female vampire pouted her lips and leaned down to the young Guardian. "You can stop that now and feel free to scream in pain all you want." Grace's fingers uncurled around the weapon and it fell to the floor with a clang. She let out a sob andBonnie rushed to her, trying to keep her quiet as to not draw attention to anyone.

"Bonnie, get Grace to the boarding house." Stefan instructed.

"No need for that." Damon appeared in the doorway. "I'll take her home." Grace fingered her bloody dress in an effort not to meet his eyes.

"Damon, long time no see." Katherine purred. "I was just telling Grace how infatuated you are with me. The poor thing was so overwrought with grief that she decided to tear her stitches out."

"Get out, Katherine." Stefan snapped and the female vampire upturned her nose. "Make sure you get her cleaned up." He told his brother who nodded.

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, Damon was able to get Grace home without anyone seeing her. He knew that he'd wait to get her home to take care of her because he had an idea that he knew she wouldn't like. He left her wheelchair downstairs and scooped her up in his arms as he climbed up the steps. Little droplets of blood stained the carpet as it ran off her dress.<p>

"You owe me a new carpet." He chuckled and she didn't answer. When he got to her room, he gently placed her on the bed and rushed to the adjoining bathroom to gather some things. He returned to see that Grace's blood was pooling in his sheets and all she could do was whimper. He gathered the fabric of her dress in his hands but she smacked them away.

"Don't touch me," she growled.

"I need to clean you up, Grace," he told her firmly.

"I can heal myself," she said.

"Now, you and I both know that you can't." Damon shook his head.

"Yes, I can." Grace whimpered.

"Adam told me everything." He spoke softly and Grace scowled at him. Even though the vampire and the Guardian wouldn't call each other friends, the latter down Damon about Grace's failing powers. "Please, Grace, let me help you."

"Oh, don't sound so guilty." She spat. "Go cry your problems to Katherine. She'll kiss it and make it better."

Damon's stomach twisted. She knew. "You saw me kiss her." Grace's face remained stone cold, her jaw tense and her eyes narrowed.

"I thought it was Elena, but...Katherine told me the truth." She sighed and groaned as her leg burned painfully. She grew lightheaded as more and more blood left her body.

"We can talk about it later if you let me help you." He offered and bunched her dress again. The vampire pushed the wet fabric to sit at her hips and the damage to her leg was gruesome. It looked like a botched surgery. Loose stitches were poking out of her skin and deep wounds where the stitches were ripped out allowed the vampire to see pieces of metal that the doctors inserted. Damon thought this would be something that he could easily fix, but Katherine made sure that her torture would ensure that Grave would have to go back to the hospital.

"How bad is it? And be honest." Grace said from above him.

"I can't fix this." Damon told her. "Unless..." His blue eyes found hers and she shook her head.

"No. No, you're not feeding me vampire blood." She grumbled.

"Yes I am, Grace." He challenged and the girl in his bed started to kick and scream.

"No!" Grace screeched and shoved him as he attempted to get closer to her. "I won't drink it!" She flailed at him wildly, as much as her injuries would allow it but Damon had enough of her stubbornness. He pinned her down to the mattress, pinning her wrists down and sitting on her hips. Grace concentrated her powers on the vampire but nothing happened. It was like she was trying to turn on a light but the fuse was broken. She cried beneath Damon and felt completely helpless.

"Grace, if you don't drink, you're going to die." He hissed.

"Don't make me drink it! Please, Damon, just let me die." She sobbed weakly. She had stopped fighting against him. She lost the will to fight. "I have nothing left."

Damon stared down at the little broken bird and his blue eyes softened slightly. He squeezed her wrists tightly and she cried out. "I don't want to compel you, Grace, but you have to drink." The girl beneath him clamped her lips into a tight line as if to show him that she would resist him if he tried to feed her. She even closed her eyes too to make sure he wouldn't compel her. Damon sighed tiredly and growled to himself. "You've lost your fight, Grace."

Grace's eyes snapped open at that. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me just fine," he spoke. "Sure, you're fighting me, but you lost your will to live."

"You try having your legs crushed and being told that you can't do anything. I can't walk on my own. I can't...I can't dance anymore, Damon. Do you know how much that hurts me?" She'd been dancing all her life since she was two years old and that was suddenly ripped away from her.

"I know it hurts you," Damon nodded. "But that shouldn't make you want to throw in the towel. You can heal and I know that my blood can help you, Grace. Just, please drink. Even if it's only a couple of drops." He was begging and pleading with her now. "Why are you so afraid of drinking vampire blood? You're afraid you'll die with it in your system?"

Grace shook her head and sniffled. "No, I mean, that's part of it. But...my dad died at the hands of a vampire and...I don't want to drink vampire blood because I feel that I'm submitting to the very thing that killed my father."

It all clicked in the vampire's head now. It all made sense. Damon released her wrists and blinked down at her. "You're not submitting, Grace. You need to be healed and your powers don't work. I don't think your father would judge you for that."

"How do you know?" She mumbled.

"Because I know. The way you talk about your dad makes me believe that he wouldn't want you to stop fighting for your life." Damon's words struck a chord in her and for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was seeing clearly now. She had some kind of revelation that her father would want her to keep living. Slowly, she leaned up on the bed and Damon allowed her to do so. For a few moments, she was silent but she found the courage to speak up.

"I don't want to die." She told him confidently and Damon nearly wanted to sigh in relief. The vampire moved off her hips to situate himself behind her in the bed. He cradled her in his lap and brought his wrist to his lips. Grace squirmed at the sound of his fangs tearing at the skin and he positioned his wrist at her mouth.

"Go ahead, Grace." His breath tickled her ear and she slowly brought her lips to the bleeding wound. Her tongue tasted him first and she pressed her mouth against the skin. She suckled him with care and felt Damon's other hand on the back of her head to make sure that she didn't pull away. He knew she had to take a couple large mouthfuls to heal her leg and he would keep her attached to his wrist until such time that she drank that much blood. The young Guardian whimpered against his wrist as her body warmed up. She drank a little more now, liking the feeling and held Damon's wrists with her hands. The vampire grunted quietly as Grace drank from him and he spied that her leg was slowly stitching itself together. The torn stitches seemed to remove themselves from her skin and the gruesome stab wounds were healing nicely. He couldn't imagine how her other leg was doing since it didn't have the trauma of being sliced and slashed to pieces.

The young Guardian felt Damon's hand on the back of her head be removed only to comb through her hair. She sighed against his wrist, her high rising as she drank from him; she had forgotten why she didn't feed from a vampire in the first place. Her body felt warm and weightless as if she was snuggled up in front of a lit fireplace on a cold night. His blood invoked so many emotions within her. She was thrilled, strong, submissive, an aroused all at the same time. Eyelashes fluttered against her high cheeks before opening. Neither of them could see that her eyes had turned that sickening black color from a few days ago when she had indulged in her own darkness. She took in all of his pain and suffering from being doomed to walk the earth as a vampire. His frustration with Katherine pained her too. Grace saw that in his heart of hearts, Damon wished that someone would love him back. He'd never been first choice and Grace's heart clenched in her chest. She felt sorry for him and knew that she probably shouldn't he'd done so many unthinkable things to hurt people but Grace saw him as a broken man.

"Grace," Damon's soft voice drew her from herself as he tried to pull his wrist away. "You're gonna drain me dry." He told her and she removed her lips from the wound. Grace fell back against his chest, blinking the black from her eyes and she sighed dreamily. Damon peered down at her to see her pupils were dilated and tsked. "Whoops, someone's a little high off the good stuff."

"I didn't think I'd enjoy it that much." She wiped a few stray droplet from the corner of her mouth with her tongue.

"I think you enjoyed it more than I did." He smirked and eased her down to the bed to lay down. "Mind if I check?" The vampire gestured to her legs and she shook her head. With a sudden tear, her bloodied dress was ripped to pieces and Damon wrapped her upper body in one of his button down shirts. The soft fabric caressed her skin ever so lightly and Grace giggled quietly. Damon's fingers worked at the tight bandaging and split it down the middle to see her stitched up skin. The leg that was stabbed still had some traces of blood on the skin, but that was something a nice long shower would fix. Once the entire bandage was removed, he moved to her other leg and repeated the same process until her leg was exposed. Both legs were completely healed, not a scare or stitch in place. His fingertips brushed over the sensitive skin and Grace squirmed a little.

"Be honest. How do they look?" She asked hesitantly.

"Why don't you look for yourself?" Damon told her and the young Guardian peered down at her newly healed legs. Her mouth hung agape and she touched them, reveling in the smoothness of them.

"It's...it's not possible." She hushed and ever so carefully, she lifted one leg up. She bent it at the knee and straightened it back. She felt no pain. "Oh my God, Damon!" Grace slid herself to the edge of the bed and pressed her feet against the floor. Damon held out his arm for her and she took it, leaning against him as she stood herself up. Her legs wobbled somewhat and she took a few steps, still clutching Damon's arm. A little wobble of her legs caused Grace to fall against Damon and he caught her.

"You still have to take it easy." He told her but his eyes were fixated on her lips. Seeing her happy made his undead heart swell and he never thought that giving her a little blood would help her so much.

"Damon, I don't know how to thank you." She beamed; the vampire smiled too and combed her hair back. Her brown eyes twinkled and she bit her bottom lip, teeth gnawing the plump skin. His lips slowly leaned down to hers, his breath caressing her soft lips when Grace felt her knees buckle, literally. She didn't know if it was his blood running through her or how close he was to her, but regardless, her legs went weak and she gripped his shoulders to steady herself. "Sorry, I guess I'm still not used to walking yet."

Damon smirked, his upper lip curling. "Then rest for a little bit." He looked over her shoulder to see that his sheets were tainted with blood. He picked her up and walked her down the hall to his room. By the time her back hit the mattress, she was fighting sleep. She turned over onto her stomach and her wings unwrapped from her back and cascaded over her body. The masses of bone and feathers ripped through his shirt, but he was in awe as he watched the white feathers fluttered gently before curling around the Guardian's body. His fingers brushed over where her skin and her wings met and Grace shivered in her sleep. She peered up at him from behind her wings and Damon could make out a smile upon her lips.

"Pretty cool, right?" She giggled and her wings pressed against her back, keeping her warm and safe.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." He smiled at her and bent down, brushing his lips against her forehead.

* * *

><p>A few days later, Grace was nearly back to her full health. She strengthened up her legs by doing some simple exercises she learned in dance classes and the muscles were building themselves up quite nicely. She couldn't really walk for long periods of time, so she still relied on the wheelchair or crutches to get herself around. She was still weak and she wanted to ease herself back into her newly healed legs. She was at the Grill with her crutches leaned against the wall and sitting in a booth when a presence joined her.<p>

"Miss Clark." Elijah's smooth voice rang in her ears and she straightened up in her chair.

Grace beamed from ear to ear. "Hello Elijah."

The man pulled at the lapel of his expensive suit and his eyes traced over the empty seat of the booth she was sitting in. "May I?"

"Oh, of course." She hurriedly moved her papers she was rifling through. Elijah slid down in the booth, sitting across from her and he folded his hands on the table. His oak brown eyes happened to catch the words on some of her papers.

"Resumes?" He inquired curiously.

"Yep. I need to start filling them out and sending them out if I want to get out of here." She told him.

"Where will you go?" He asked her.

"At this point, anywhere that will take me." She replied as she scrawled some words down. "A couple of years ago, after my dad died, my mom and I moved to New York. I guess she thought it would be a good idea to start fresh, but I loved being there. We'd go see shows on the weekends, just the two of us. Watching those shows and ballets, I felt like I was falling in love." Grace smiled. She remembered sitting in the audience and just being in awe of the performance and dancers. "Now, I know you're really not a talent scout from New York, Elijah."

Elijah's lips turned into somewhat of a smirk. "Smart girl."

Grace tapped the side of her forehead. "I don't like to take all of the credit."

"You should know that my title is a cover." He told her.

"I know that. I guess I just wished that you could get me out of Mystic Falls for good." The girl shrugged.

"I wish I could. You're very talented, Grace." He smiled brightly. "However, I've heard about your _injury_."

"Yeah, leave it to me to fall down a flight of stairs." She chuckled.

"Now, you and I both know that's not true." Elijah stated and Grace let out a sigh.

"Fine. Leave it to me to go into a burning building to rescue a vampire I have feelings for." The words left her mouth and she wished that Elijah hadn't heard them. A blush rose in her cheeks and she wanted to hide under the table. "Sorry, my mind kind of just runs away with me."

"It's quite alright," Elijah chuckled a little at her.

"May I ask you something, Elijah?" Grace was more than eager to change the subject. He gave her a nod, so she continued. "Did you know my father?"

Elijah's cheek twitched slightly and placed his hands in his lap. "Yes, I did. In fact, you remind me of him a lot." The Guardian swelled with joy, people had always told her that she shared a strong resemblance to her father and she could add Elijah to that long list.

"Do you know who killed him?" That next question was difficult for Grace to get out, but she needed to ask him.

"No," Elijah shook his head. "I wish I knew, Grace."

"So do I." She nodded and twirled her pen in her hands.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand what you're so upset about. The plan was carried out perfectly." Violet spoke as she sat beside Adam in his living room. "All of the tomb vampires are gone."<p>

"I know that, but Damon got out and Grace got hurt because of it," he told her.

"It's her fault that she got hurt." The blonde fought. "She was stupid to go in after that vampire."

"Violet..."

"No." She immediately cut him off. "I don't know why you bother to keep on defending her. She's friends with _vampires_, Adam."

"They're not bad though, Vi." The male Guardian shook his head.

"God, what has gotten into you? Vampires and Guardians have feuded for hundreds of years. How can you say that the Salvatores aren't bad?" Violet grumbled.

"Stefan's not, but Damon...I don't like the way he looks at her." Adam clenched his fists in his lap.

Violet's brown eyes glinted with a smidgen of fire behind them. "Is that jealousy I hear? You're jealous of a vampire?"

"I loved her, Vi." The male proclaimed. "She was special to me."

"And now she's sleeping around with vampires." Violet hissed. "It's time for you to forget her, Adam. She's turning her back on us, on _you_."

"Grace isn't like that." Adam sighed and ran a hand through his short brown hair.

"But look at what she's done. She ran into a burning building to rescue a vampire. You know that her own darkness will consume her. It's probably already started." The strawberry blonde placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"That's why I want to help her," he told Violet.

"She is beyond help, Adam." She kissed his cheek softly, trying to take his mind off Grace. "That's why the two of us have to stick together. If it wasn't for you, I would have given into my own darkness."

Adam looked to the blonde and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. "It's okay, Violet. You'll be okay." He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "I only wish I could have been there to help Grace."

"But, if you didn't leave town, I never would have met you." The girl rubbed his tense shoulder, using her powers to relax him. "You really have helped me so much, Adam."

The Guardian tilted her chin up so their eyes met and he kissed her gently on the lips. "Don't mention it. I'm just glad to have found someone like you." Violet smiled against his lips before deepening the kiss and running her fingers through his hair.

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><p><em>The river has run wild tonight<em>

_The birds have stopped singing and I've lost my sight._

_And you,_

_You're not around._

_I keep my ground._

_Just quiet._

The calming music of Mads Langer entered Grace's ears as she lounged on her bed in the Salvatore house. Her eyes were closed, and her body slack, as her mind comprised images of leaping and gliding across a dance floor. She missed dancing so much and not even imagining it could quell the ache in her heart. She hadn't been to the studio since she still had to go with her cover and she knew that people would get suspicious that she was up and dancing after having two broken legs.

She hadn't spoken or seen Adam since he was busy was Violet and Grace was happy for that. She wasn't entirely sure that she trusted Violet, so she just wanted to stay away from her. She wasn't happy with Adam either, sure he tried to heal her but she couldn't help but feel like he changed ever since meeting Violet. Grace sighed and clicked to the next song, but shuffling from downstairs caught her attention. Pulling the ear buds out of her ears, she was able to make out a male and female talking. Grace rose to her feet, very carefully, and traipsed towards the stairwell where she could hear Damon and she nearly froze hearing Katherine's voice as well. She snuck down a few steps and hid in the shadows, listening in on their conversation.

"What are you up to, Katherine?" Damon asked her.

"Trust me, Damon. When I'm up to something, you'll know it." Katherine snickered and she took a few steps towards him. "Come on. Kiss me. Or kill me. Which will it be, Damon? We both know that you're only capable of one." Her lips hovered over his, just inches from touching but he turned and stalked away from her. Katherine, however, had other plans. She tackled the younger vampire to the floor, straddling his hips and pressing him down into the expensive carpet. "My sweet, innocent Damon." Each word dripped with lust as she walked her hand over his chest. Damon quickly flipped her over, a hand at her throat and he stared her down. Katherine gave him a smirk and Damon's lips crashed onto hers.

The young Guardian lowered her power charged hands to her sides and the glow diminished greatly, much like her respect for Damon. She thought Katherine was going to hurt him, so she was prepared to try out her powers and prove to the vampire that she wasn't powerless. Once again, Grace's heart broke in two watching them kiss so passionately. She leaned against the wall, completely shrouded in shadow, and let some silent tears streak her cheeks. She so badly wanted to scream out and bash her fists into the wall, but then she ran the risk of alerting the two vampires.

"That's more like it." Katherine's purr hit Grace's ears and she couldn't stand being in that house for another moment.

Katherine's lips parted as Damon threw her up against the wall and he placed little love bites on her neck. She heard the front door click closed and she smirked to herself. She had plans of stomping on Grace's heart and she was successful in doing so. Damon was just too predictable. She played on his delusional hope that she might still love him and that fueled their heated make-out session. Damon's hands yanked her top down, exposing her black lacy bra and continued to kiss her neck until the sudden image of a winged girl crossed his mind.

"Okay, wait." He panted against her skin. "Brief pause." An aggravated Katherine shoved him off and he stumbled backwards. "I have a question. Answer it and it's back to fireworks and rockets' red glare. Answer it right and I'll forget the last one hundred and forty five years that I've spent missing you. I'll forget how much I loved you, I'll forget everything and we can start over. This could be our defining moment because we have the time. That's the beauty of eternity." His voice shook as he readied himself to hear Katherine's verdict. He spent 145 long, painful years searching for this woman and he needed to know her true feelings. Damon took her face in his hands, caressing her cheeks. "I just need the truth...just once."

Katherine held a hand up, "Stop. I already know your question and its answer." She told him sadly. "The truth is...I've never loved you. It was always Stefan." Right before her eyes she saw Damon shattering to pieces. This was a broken man if she ever did see one. He was so vulnerable when he begged with her to be honest with him and now he was inconsolable. The female vampire took his hands off her face before walking past him and leaving Damon alone with his sorrows.

* * *

><p>Elena Gilbert was downstairs making a pot of tea for Grace in hopes of calming her down. The young Guardian had showed up to her house in a mess of sobs and was nearly unable to speak. She ushered her upstairs, telling Jenna that Grace and her mom had a fight as a cover. Once they were in her bedroom, Grace spilled that she'd seen Damon and Katherine kissing in the parlor. Elena held her friend as she cried quietly. She knew that Grace would get hurt by Damon, it was only a matter of time.<p>

Grace wiped another stray tear from her face and sniffled back more. She didn't know why she was so angry and upset. She knew that Damon would hurt her, but she hardly thought that it would be in front of her. She didn't know why Damon did what he did. He'd get close to people and then push them away. He healed her legs and her soul, but that joy was broken as soon as his lips touched Katherine's. She'd taken a hot shower at Elena's and yanked the damp towel from her hair as she saw Damon sitting on Elena's bed. She jumped a little, not expecting to see him there. She quickly recovered and tossed her towel aside.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just doing my part in the neighborhood watch," the vampire replied solemnly.

"Well, we're fine. You can leave now." She grumbled and adjusted the strap of her tank top.

His hazy eyes met hers, a curious look on his face. "What's got you all moody? I came here because you weren't at the boarding house."

Grace crossed her arms over her chest. "The sounds of you and Katherine making out downstairs were a little much. Do you mind having your little rendezvous when I'm not home?"

Damon's face fell at the realization that he'd been caught. "Grace..."

"Damon, please just leave." She snapped. "I don't want to talk to you anymore."

The vampire rose from the bed and stalked over to her, his gait was slightly lopsided. "You know what kills me about this whole thing? Is that I thought she really loved me."

Grace's stance tightened. "You've been drinking." She didn't even need to ask him since she smelled the alcohol on his breath. "And you're upset."

"I spent 145 years loving that woman to find out that it will always be Stefan." Damon growled low in his chest. His anger was slowly building and Grace needed to diffuse it before it got worse.

"I'm sorry, Damon." She placed a hand on his upper arm. "Look, why don't you just sit down and-"

"I don't want to sit down." He yanked his arm from her hold and she stumbled back. "I can't stand how everyone tells me to sit down and just deal with it. I'm a broken man, Grace." Damon rambled and was quickly closing in on the Guardian.

"Damon..."

"Do you know who I was thinking about when she was kissing me? You. I saw you." He told her and cupped her cheeks.

"Stop it! You're drunk and you have no idea what you're saying." She shook her head from his grip but he then pressed his body flush against hers.

"But I do know what I'm saying. That's the thing." He slurred. "I know you feel something for me, Grace, and you're lying to everyone about it. But more importantly, you're lying to yourself." Grace was trapped between a rock and a hard place and didn't want to scream for Elena knowing that Aunt Jenna and Jeremy were sleeping. "And I can prove it."

Grace shook her head. "No," she whimpered before Damon covered her lips with his. The kiss was hardly gentle as he held her face and his tongue probed her mouth. The taste of bourbon made Grace recoil and she pushed the vampire away from her.

"Damon, stop it! What is wrong with you?" She held her hands up in an attempt to stop him again.

"Lie about this." He begged and held her wrists.

"You're better than this. I know you are." She told him.

"That's where you're wrong." Damon shoved her against the wall roughly and kissed her again. Grace beat at his chest, trying to yank him off her but he was relentless. His lips bruised hers, his teeth pulling at her bottom lip painfully.

"Grace? What the hell is going on here?" Jeremy must have heard the commotion and came to see what was wrong. Damon removed himself from Grace and could see a little bruise forming on her bottom lip.

Grace distanced herself from Damon, moving to stand closer to Jeremy. "It's okay, Jer. Just go back to bed." Elena had joined them as well and was looking between everyone in her room.

"No, it's not okay, Grace." Damon spoke brokenly and looked over to Jeremy. "He wants to be a vampire." He suddenly rushed at Jeremy and pushed him against the wall.

Elena bounded forward to stop the vampire, but Grace held her back, knowing she'd get caught in the crossfire. "No, Damon, stop it!"

"You want to shut out the pain? It's the easiest thing in the world. The part of you that cares just goes away." Damon told the teenager as he choked him. "All you have to do is flip the switch and snap!" Jeremy's neck snapped to the side roughly and he crumpled to the floor.

"No!" Elena screamed and ran to his limp body. She cradled her brother to her, gently combing his hair while Damon and Grace were at a stare off. He seemed to finally realize what he'd done and Grace was just frozen, unable to comprehend that Damon had killed Jeremy. The vampire rushed out of the house and Grace dialed Stefan.

The green eyed Salvatore had shown up and was now comforting Elena and Grace. Both couldn't believe that Damon would do such a horrible thing. Grace had pointed out to her cousin that Jeremy was wearing his Gilbert ring, so he would come back to life, but Elena kept repeating the same sentence over and over again.

"I hate him." Each word was filled with anger and loathing as she cried over her brother. Grace kept quiet, crying silently while asking why Damon would take things so far.

"It was Katherine," she concluded. "She got under his skin and that's why Damon did it." She told her cousin, but Elena gave her a scowl.

"Don't defend him, Grace. He's not worth it and he doesn't deserve forgiveness." The teen spat when Jeremy suddenly came back to life with a gasp.

* * *

><p>The raven haired vampire watched as the fire swelled as he smashed his glass of bourbon in the flames. He had sobered up somewhat and couldn't Grace's face out of his mind. Her scent, her laugh, her body, all of it was swirling around in his mind like a vicious circle. He growled and pulled at his hair before darting up to Grace's room. Everything was kept neat, like he figured she would be a clean freak, and his eyes wandered around it. On the mantel were pictures of Grace and her mother and father while a diary was lying open on her bed. Damon crept over and picked up the leather bound book. Scribbles littered the pages and Grace's neat handwriting was scrawled over the white paper.<p>

_Damon and I, we have something. An understanding. He can be so selfless at times, but other times, he pushes people away. It hurts me when he does that, but I do it too. I don't want people to get too close to me. I always get hurt and I think that's why Damon puts up those walls. It's to keep people from hurting him. But when his walls come down, it's like something I've never seen. I see a completely different man and it's beautiful. As much as people tell me that there is no good in him, I don't believe them. There is good in Damon. You just have to look hard enough._

He couldn't read it anymore. He was going to be sick. The diary was launched across the room at the wall and Damon proceeded to tear apart the room. The pictures on the mantle were smashed, the frames broken and lying on the floor. He beat the vanity mirror with one of her pointe shoes until his reflection was splintered beyond recognition. Damon hated reading that diary entry. She was wrong. Grace was wrong about everything. All but one small picture frame remained and it held that picture of Grace and her father on one of her birthdays. He took it in his hands and was ready to smash it against the floor, but he stopped. The brown eyes in the photograph seemed to command and almost reprimand him for what he'd done. His blue eyes took in the condition of her room and it was like he snapped out of his haze. He dropped the frame and it hit the floor with a clank. The vampire then backed out of her room and took one last fleeting look before shutting the door behind him.

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><p><strong>grapejuice101: Thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)<strong>

**aireagle92: Thank you for reviewing! As far as the friendship between Damon and Grace, it will be a little rocky at times, but I am planning on having them grow closer as time goes on.**

**Tvdlover87654: Yes, poor Grace :( As if her legs getting crushed wasn't enough, but now her heart is broken! Thank you for reviewing!**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, Damon was ready to say it, but...whomp :(**

**cara: I love you too! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Lycan Lover 411: Hehe, thank you girl! Although my updates have been going a little slower than usual lately -_- Adam and Violet are just looking for trouble! Grace is hurt, but she'll heal! And Katherine...gah! Thanks for reviewing!**

**sarahxx: Damon and Grace will be together! Just give them some time! Thank you for reviewing!**

**sandiw1875: Thank you for reviewing! Glad that you liked how I ended season 1 :) Grace won't be too happy with Adam when she finds out.**

**Graciiee: That's totally okay, girl! Thanks so much for leaving a review! Yeah, Grace was pretty beat up in the last chapter :( But we all know that it was Katherine and not Elena who kissed Damon. As for Violet and Adam, they're kinda just looking for trouble. They think they're doing the right thing, but clearly they're not.**

**Guest: Thank you for reviewing! Hmm, maybe Grace will get her own kind of revenge on Adam!**


	27. Brave New World

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 27: Brave New World**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries. I only own my characters and plot ideas.**

******If you reviewed the last chapter - take a look at the bottom! I've replied to them :)******

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><p>Music blared through the brunette's ears as she lightly jogged down through Mystic Falls. Grace had been feeling the need for a jog these past few days and her experience with Katherine and Damon didn't help her stress level. When she returned to the boarding house the following morning after Damon accused her of having feelings for him and kissing her, she found that her room was completely trashed. Glass crunched under her feet from her shattered mirror and everything that rested on a surface was on the floor. The satin on her pointe shoes were torn, little shards of glass poking out of them and the ribbons were beyond repair. Pages of her diary were strewn all over, namely the pages with Damon's name on them. Everything was ruined except for a photo in a frame of Grace and her father. The Guardian guessed that it was Damon who had done this to her room, she knew because she felt his fury and outrage stemming from each item he touched. She hadn't seen him since and he made his presence very scarce around the boarding house. He'd either been out or at council meetings, pretending that everything was fine.<p>

Pushing herself to run harder, she turned the music up louder on her iPod and tried to forget about all of her stress. Even Adam and Violet hadn't been around town that much either and Grace was thankful for that. She really didn't need to see them holding hands or kissing at the Grill. Her stomach curdled at the thought of that and she pushed it to the back of her mind as she continued her run. A running body next to her made her turn her head.

"Hey you." Mason greeted even though she couldn't hear him because of the buds in her ears. She took them out and paused her iPod, smiling at him.

"What's going on?" The two then slowed their paces down to keep up with one another.

"Racing Tyler." He panted and used the bottom part of his shirt to wipe the light sheen of sweat on his brow. Grace was able to sneak a quick glance at his rippled abdomen as he lifted up his shirt. "And he's losing, badly."

"No need to brag, Mason." Grace giggled and tucked some flyaway hairs behind her ears.

"I see someone's out strutting their stuff." He grinned wolfishly at her attire which consisted of a sports bra and shorts.

"Hey! I've been strutting my stuff even when I was in that wheelchair." She said, trying to hold her blush inside.

"You're looking good though." Mason jogged beside her and she gave him a questioning look. "Your legs, I mean."

Grace peered down at them and scowled at the light scaring that had appeared. They weren't overly noticeable, but Damon had explained that her own body had tried to heal itself and that's where the scar tissue came from.

"Yeah, they don't look too bad. I can still wear cute dresses and short skirts." She shrugged and looked over her shoulder. "Man, you really left Tyler in the dust. Nice job, old man."

Mason laughed heartily at that jab, nudging her with his elbow. "I'm not that old, Grace."

"Is that a grey hair I see?" She pointed at his sideburns and he playfully swatted her hand away.

"This may come as a surprise to you, but I'm younger than Tyler's dad," he said. "I actually remember Ty talking about you before I left Mystic Falls."

"Oh?" She tilted her head to the side.

"Well, he'd say how hot you were and now that I've met you, I'd have to agree with him." Mason smiled and the Guardian did too.

"I wish I could be honest, but I never gave any guy a chance, including Tyler. Sure, I'd party and have a good time, but I'd hardly qualify myself as the ideal girlfriend." Grace murmured. "Ever since my dad passed away, I just don't want to let anyone in."

Mason's confidence somewhat deflated as he looked upon Grace who nervously playing with a plain silver band on her finger. "I'm sorry about your dad."

"Thank you. I know how Tyler is feeling and I just want to be there for him." She nodded, her gaze stayed glued to the ring.

"I appreciate that. In fact, he'll be at the carnival up at the school, so maybe if you're not doing anything..." He trailed off just as Tyler finally caught up with them, huffing and puffing. "It's about damn time, Ty."

"How...the hell...do you...run so...fast?" He breathed.

"Need a breather, buddy?" Mason clapped his nephew on the back.

"Nah!" Tyler waved a hand at him. "I'm okay."

"How are you, Tyler?" Grace asked meekly and he smiled at her.

"I'm alright," he replied simply with the tiniest hint of a smile. "How are you? I mean, you look a lot better than when I saw you last."

Grace giggled at that, ever since they were little and she would babysit Elena and her friends, Tyler would often get tongue tied around the older girl. She thought that it was adorable, but that phase didn't last too long. They all grew up and Tyler threw himself into football and partying because he couldn't deal with his father's overbearing attitude.

"I am better, but you look a little out of breath." She pointed out and Tyler laughed.

"Are you challenging me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe." She bit her lip coyly and took off running, leaving both men in the dust.

* * *

><p>Unfortunately she lost to Mason, but she was won against Tyler as they made their way into the Lockwood mansion. The Lockwoods never spared an expense when it came to their home and they had no problem with showcasing their wealth to the entire town.<p>

"When was that? Like seven?" Tyler asked as they rested in the foyer.

"Six. I don't count the last one. You crawled it." Mason told him.

Tyler raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"I think Grandma Lockwood actually passed you, in her walker." His uncle joked. "Grace even left you in the dust."

"Yeah, okay." Tyler waved him off and then pointed to Mason's and Grace's running sneakers. "Shoes off. Mud, my mom..." He made a slashing motion across his neck and the brunette kicked off her shoes which were caked with mud from their run.

"Yeah, yeah." Mason sat down on the large staircase and removed his own sneakers. "So all this anger and aggression you're talking about, you notice a difference when you exercise?" While they were running, the three of them were talking about Tyler's overactive temper and his anger that could skyrocket in seconds.

"Yeah, I find that working out helps me." Grace offered as she placed her shoes by the door.

"Dude, I play three varsity sports. I work out four times a week and run three. I'm gonna say no." He shook his head.

"Do you have episodes? What happens exactly?" Mason asked curiously.

Tyler shrugged and sucked down some water from his bottle. "Starts out normal, I get angry typically over nothing. I'm an angry guy. I know it just amplifies and I just go off." Grace frowned visibly, she'd seen Tyler get angry and it wasn't a pretty sight.

"You black out?" His uncle wondered.

"Yeah, it's like I go blind with rage." The younger Lockwood replied.

"Is there a pattern? Like once a month, only at night?" Mason's questions kept getting stranger and stranger, making Grace shift uncomfortably on her feet. She felt awkward that she was there, but neither of them shooed her away.

"All I know is I lose myself, you know? For that time I become something else and I hate it." He grumbled heatedly and the Guardian bit her bottom lip.

"How about I fix us something cool to drink?" She suggested and Tyler nodded, motioning her to the kitchen. With her gone, Mason scratched the back of his neck and looked to his nephew.

"Wanna shower first?" He asked him and he nodded.

"Yeah, man. Sure. My mom always tells me I stink when I come back from my runs anyways." Tyler shrugged and jogged upstairs. Mason made his way into the kitchen to see Grace pouring some lemonade into three glasses.

"Who's Carol talking to?" She asked curiously as she handed him a glass. The Guardian heard voices from inside the house, but she just figured that it was anyone.

Mason shrugged, nearly downing his entire drink before speaking again. "Don't know. Probably someone on the Council or something."

Grace reached out to take his glass and refill it. Their hands brushed against one another's and she saw Caroline whimpering and crying in her hospital bed. Grace jerked back from him suddenly. The glass plummeted to the floor, lemonade splattering everywhere and Grace gasped out.

"Woah!" Mason shouted and steadied the girl against the counter who was now turning red from embarrassment.

"Oh! Mason, I'm so sorry." She shook her head.

"What happened to you?" He asked and they gathered paper towels to wipe up the floor.

"It was a...a cramp." Grace stammered. "I guess I overdid it today with the run." Mason chuckled and gripped a bottle of floor cleaner to spray the floor.

"No need to get upset about it. It's not my house anyways." He said and continued to clean the floor.

"Please, Carol will have my head." She joked. "At the rehearsals for Miss Mystic Falls, she made a girl cry."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me." He nodded. "Listen, Grace, that carnival is coming up and I was wondering if you'd wanna go with me."

The Guardian's eyes met his and a smile pulled at her full lips. She blushed, the color of her cheeks became dusted with specks of pink. "I would like that a lot." Two others joined them in the kitchen and looked upon the mess.

"What happened here?" Carol stepped over the broken glass. "Is everyone alright?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Lockwood." Grace waved it off and threw the paper towels in the garbage. "I'm just clumsy."

"You always were." The second presence made them-self known and Grace scowled to Damon who was smirking in the doorway.

"Damon," she greeted him as cordially as she could. His blue eyes slithered up and down her body and then flicked to Mason.

"I'll talk to you later, Carol." The vampire gave one last look to Grace before leaving the house.

"Are any of you hurt?" She asked.

"No. We're okay. I'll replace the glass, Mrs. Lockwood." Grace murmured.

"Oh, no need to worry about that." She shooed them both from the kitchen to have the maids clean the mess in the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Grace jumped up and down, clapping when Mason knocked down another set of bottles with a baseball. She was having a great time at the carnival, not to mention that Mason kept winning her prizes.<p>

"Which one do you want?" The man working the game asked and Grace pointed to a stuffed animal dog. He handed it to her and she hugged it close to her chest tightly.

"I'm having a really nice time, Mason." She beamed.

"I'm glad," he said and Grace waved over to Elena who was working a booth. "I actually have to man the arm-wrestling booth with Tyler because he made a bet that he could win against me."

"Okay, I'll meet you there." She nodded and they parted. On her way to Elena, she unexpectedly bumped into Damon and he snatched the stuffed animal from her.

"Someone's moving on quickly." He scowled down at the stuffed dog in disgust.

Grace snatched it back from him with a huff. "I could say the same to you. Making out with Katherine downstairs and then trying to make me admit my feelings for you."

"I figured you heard all of that." Damon rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here anyways? Aren't you a little old for high school carnivals?" She hissed.

"Isn't Uncle Lockwood a little too old for you?" He countered and Grace crossed her arms over her chest.

"Isn't Katherine a little too old for you?"

Damon's smirk only grew wider, exposing his pearly white human teeth. "Ouch. You wound me, feathers."

"Don't call me that." She snapped.

"Oh, come on, Grace. I thought that we were friends."

"Well, friends don't trash their friend's room." The vampire's confident look sobered and he peered down at her.

"How did you know about that?"

She stepped closer to him, trying to make their conversation a lot quieter. "I felt your energy, Damon. You felt betrayed, angry, lonely."

"Finished psychoanalyzing me yet?" He gritted.

"I know that Katherine did that to you and I know how all of those emotions feel." She told him.

"You don't get it, Grace. When you're a vampire, it's all magnified." Damon snarled. "I hope you never ever feel what that pain feels like."

"I hope I don't either, but I know how you felt and I'm sorry that Katherine just destroyed you. She had no right." Grace spoke softly.

Damon ground his teeth in his mouth just hearing Katherine's name come out of his own mouth and Grace's. He hated that damn woman for picking him second to Stefan and he clenched his fists at the mere thought.

"Damon, please say something..." She trailed off.

"What do you want me to say?" He mumbled.

"An apology would be nice."

"For what?"

"Gee, I don't know...for trashing my room and ruining all of my things?" Grace stamped her foot. "Or maybe for kissing me?"

"I don't apologize for things I wanted to do in the first place." That made the Guardian freeze in her spot and she felt her muscles tensing.

"You were drunk," she said.

"Maybe, but I knew what I was doing, Grace." Damon plucked a lock of hair and twirled it around his finger. "You'll admit it one day, your feelings, and you're in luck because I have eternity." His lips were barely inches from hers and Damon moved in as if to kiss her, but the vampire unhanded her hair and brushed right past her, leaving Grace in a state of shock.

* * *

><p>"I see you're having fun." Grace smirked as she watched another arm wrestling contestant sulk off from the booth.<p>

"I like to win." Mason wiggled his eyebrows at her while Tyler was looking for another person to verse his uncle.

"You've only been winning bragging rights so far. What will you have to show for it?" She asked coyly.

"Hmm, maybe I can ask for something." He eyed her up and down.

"I'm not a prize to be won, Mason." Grace teased and he snapped his fingers in mock defeat.

"Damn, you figured out my plan." He joked. "So, how about a kiss? If I beat this next guy, I get a kiss."

Grace thought it over for a moment and she happened to see Damon and Stefan watching the two of them. They hardly looked like they belonged and she raised an eyebrow when Stefan signaled to Tyler that he was going to go up against Mason. As Stefan stepped aside, Grace could see Adam and Violet in the crowd too. She scowled, wishing that she could have gone a night without seeing them. Violet and Grace's eyes met immediately and the blonde Guardian glared at her. The two women were giving dirty looks to one another when Violet broke away and pulled Adam close, kissing him right in front of Grace. The brunette's chest deflated and her scowl melted into a frown. Stefan greeting her with a smile made her break her stare with the winged couple and she turned back to Mason.

"Deal." She smirked. There was no way that Mason could beat Stefan, not in a million years. Stefan already had a hundred and forty-five or so on him. Damon cheered sarcastically for his brother and waved at Grace. She shook her head and turned away from him to watch the match.

"My brother over there thinks I can beat you." Stefan told Mason.

"Your brother's wrong." He grinned and they started wrestling. They were both putting a lot of effort into it, straining and pushing their muscles to the point where their arms hadn't moved at all. Stefan's face faltered and Mason took the opportunity to slam his arm on the table. Grace was in complete shock, so was Stefan. They both knew that he should have won. How could Mason beat a vampire? Stefan returned back to Damon who was looking as stunned as ever and the crowd cheered for the reigning champ.

"Looks like I won." Mason bragged and flexed his muscles.

"My God, you're like the Hulk." Grace said.

"Something like that." He smirked. "So, I won that kiss fair and square."

The Guardian giggled and took Mason's hand, standing him up and cupped his cheeks, planting a kiss right on his lips. The crowd around them cheered loudly, whistling and cat-calling. Grace normally wasn't the kind of girl who would kiss a guy in public, but somewhere in the back of her head, she wished that Adam was watching her. She wanted him to feel that same anger and jealousy that Violet made her feel. Grace pulled away and Mason's eyes were glazed over with lust. She bit her lip and took his hand, leading them away from the crowded booth and outside into the parking lot. Damon watched the whole ordeal and felt a stab of envy. He growled low in his chest and looked to his brother.

"You didn't put in any effort at all." He told him.

Stefan massaged his sore arm. "Yeah, actually I did." His brother scrunched up his nose and saw Stefan trying to loosen up his arm from the match. They both knew in that very moment that Mason was a different kind of beast, maybe the whole Lockwood family was as well.

"Come with me." Stefan followed his brother and could only imagine what kind of a horrible plan that Damon was cooking up.

* * *

><p>Adam sat up in the bleachers, eyes closed and he held onto Violet's hands as they concentrated on joining their energies.<p>

"Are you getting anything?" She asked him.

"No." Adam shook his head and he heard Violet sigh.

"Well, you're not trying very hard." His brown eyes opened and he dropped her hands. "Adam, talk to me, please."

"It's nothing, Vi." He moved away from her.

"See? That's what I mean!" She whined and crossed her arms over her chest. "That's always your answer."

"There's just a lot on my mind." He waved her off. "You wouldn't understand."

"I would if you'd just tell me." Violet pleaded with him. "Is this because I kissed you in front of Grace?"

"Violet-"

"No. Don't Violet me. Answer my question." She stared him down.

"Yes! Okay? Yes!" He snapped.

"She's a big girl, Adam. She can handle it."

"It still wasn't right."

"Look, I couldn't care if I was kissing you in front of the whole world. I love you, Adam, and I wish you'd move on from her." She told him and took his hand. "If it really bothered you...then I'm sorry. I really am." Her apology was sincere and Adam gently squeezed her hands.

"I don't know why I let myself get upset." Adam frowned and Violet moved closer to him.

"You loved her, that's why. You were both in love with each other, but Grace let her sympathy for vampires come in between you." She spoke softly and cupped his cheek. "She isolated herself from her own kind, Adam. She will be punished for that and we all know that."

"Is it wrong that I don't want her to be punished?" He asked her and Violet's auburn eyes softened.

"No, it's not wrong. We feel for other Guardians even if they are falling from grace." She said. "You taught me that."

Adam's warm smile met hers and he brought the back of her hand to his lips. He kissed it gently and her smile grew brighter. "I love you."

The female Guardian scooted even closer, her lips just brushing over his when they felt a sudden rush of wind gust around them. They rose from the metal bleachers and looked upon an older man whose face was shrouded in the darkness of his hood.

"I see I'm interrupting play time." He chuckled mysteriously and the two winged people blushed, hanging their heads. "Has any progress been made?"

"The tomb vampires are gone, sir." Violet spoke up.

"Very good." The man praised them. "And what of the blackbird? Looking after her, I assume?"

"Yes sir." Adam nodded.

"And the moonstone?" The faces of both Guardians paled and the man looked disapprovingly at them.

"We do know that it is in Mystic Falls..." Violet trailed off. "We just don't know where."

"We need that moonstone." He said gruffly.

"Yes sir. We'll find it." The male Guardian promised.

"You better and I want you both to keep an eye on Grace." He ordered. "If she continues to fall then we'll have no choice." He then made a slicing motion across his neck and the two Guardians gulped loudly.

"But, how can you be sure that it's already started, sir?" The blonde girl asked curiously.

The man's shoulders were tense and he cleared his throat. "It is something that we keep track of. Any and all Guardians are watched and if they start to descend, then we eliminate them."

"We won't let anything happen to her." Adam piped up. "Grace will be fine. She's just going through some hard times."

"Hard times or not, what I said still stands." He warned and disappeared into the night as quickly as he appeared.

* * *

><p>"I...I don't ever do this." Grace breathed as Mason pulled her into his lap. He kissed her neck, trailing down to her collarbone and she leaned her head back, giving him more access to her skin which was burning up. The two were canoodling in the backseat of Mason's pick-up truck out in the parking lot. Mason pinned her there once they were out of sight and kissed her passionately. Their make-out session only escalated and they couldn't hold themselves back any longer. Carol was home, so the only place to go was Mason's truck for some privacy.<p>

"Don't worry about it." He said into her ear and nibbled it with his teeth.

"But, what if..." She whimpered out as his strong, masculine hands snuck under her shirt and brushed up and down her toned stomach. "What if someone sees us?" She had her doubts about doing this, but she was a woman and could take care of herself. It's not like anyone had to know about it.

"No one's gonna see, Grace." Mason promised and looked up at her. He was staring at her for a long time until she finally giggled and blushed.

"What are you staring at me for?" She fiddled with her hair, uncomfortable with his piercing gaze.

"You're just so beautiful." He said and Grace bit her bottom lip.

"There's no sense in trying to charm me, Mason. I'm already in your lap and in the back of your truck." She told him.

"I mean it. I really do." He smiled and cupped her cheek. Grace's hands found the buttons of his shirt and she toyed with them for a moment or two before slipping the first out of the hole. Mason brought her lips down to crash upon his and she moaned into the kiss. Her hands ran all over Mason's warm tanned skin as she lightly tugged at his bottom lip with her teeth. He growled, quite loudly, and Grace ground her hips against his straining groin. He was ready for her and her eyes rolled back in her head as he laid her down over the backseat and pressed his arousal into hers. Mason kissed down her neck, running his wet tongue over her prickling skin and grabbed her legs to wind them around his waist.

"Mason." She gripped his shoulders as his hips snapped against hers. He chuckled into the crook of her neck and she shivered violently against him. Her eyes fell closed and her hands gripped at his thick, curly hair.

_Mason clawed at the earth beneath him, unable to keep in another howl as immeasurable pain coursed through his body. Everything hurt. His bones, his muscles, his skin, it was all so painful. The full moon was high in the sky, only shrouded by a few wisps of clouds. Many would love to look upon a full moon, but for Mason it was torture. It was a reminder that he'd become this creature, this beast. Mason bowed his head down, grunting and groaning loudly as if to bite back the pain, but he always knew that it was impossible. Ever since his first full moon, he never forgot what that pain felt like. The snapping and cracking of his bones made his back arch up and his amber eyes glowed in the darkness as he howled again at the full moon._

Grace suddenly sat upright, pushing Mason off her. "Oh my God."

"What?" She was staring into his amber eyes and could barely speak. They were gleaming brightly just like in her vision and no matter how many times Mason blinked, they color remained the same. A ruckus from outside made them look out of the windshield to see Tyler fighting with someone. They gathered their bearings and darted out of the car to break up the fight.

"Hey Tyler! Tyler! What the hell man?" Mason yanked the other man, Carter, off of his nephew and Grace checked Tyler for any wounds.

"Are you okay?" She asked him and he tore his face from her hands.

"That asshole started with me!" He accused the man who Mason was holding back.

"Just walk it off, Tyler." Grace told him and Carter suddenly lunged at the both of them, but Mason yanked him back. Now the two of them were fighting. Carter punched Mason in the face and he went insane with rage. He flipped back onto the hood of someone's car and both Tyler and Grace could see his shining yellow eyes.

"Your eyes." Tyler hushed.

"Mason..." She gasped and he attacked Carter, sending him to the floor. Mason then grabbed Tyler and ran from the parking lot. "Mason! Mason!" She hurried after them, but Stefan flashed in front of her.

"Do not go after them, Grace." He warned.

"Stefan, what the hell just happened here?" She growled.

The vampire bent down to Carter who was now stirring to see if he was alright and compelled him to go back to the carnival, clean up the gaping wound on his head, and forget what happened. "Damon did a little...experiment."

"An experiment?!" Grace hissed.

"He wanted to find out what Tyler was, only we found out that Mason is something." Stefan explained. "He's not a vampire."

Grace shook her head and hugged herself for warmth. "How did he beat you at that match?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out."

"I just-" Grace found herself flying across the parking lot and pinned against the side of a car. She looked up to see Caroline snarling at her with blood on her face. The Guardian used her powers to push the vampire away, her skin heating up and shocking her back. Stefan held Caroline back just as Damon and Elena ran into the parking lot.

"Grace! Are you alright?" Elena checked her out and she nodded, keeping her eyes on Caroline.

"What the hell?" She growled.

"Damon's blood...turned her into a vampire and Katherine killed her. She freaked out when she saw me and she kept asking why I killed her." The brunette explained. "Stefan, we've got to get her inside." That must have been the vision Grace had in the Lockwood kitchen.

"It's okay Caroline, come with me." Stefan cooed softly in an effort to make Caroline calm down.

"She'll die, it's only a matter of time." Damon spat.

"Yeah, maybe so, but it's not gonna happen tonight." His brother shook his head.

Damon smirked evilly. "Oh yeah it is." He pulled a stake from inside his jacket and rushed to Caroline, aiming it right above her heart, but Grace put herself in front of Caroline who had put her arms up to defend herself. The stake was hovering just over Grace's heart, but she looked up at him fearlessly.

"Get out of my way, Grace." Damon growled.

"I'm not going to let you kill her." The Guardian held up her own hands and flexed her fingers, creating a blue glow to threaten the vampire to back down. Damon tightened his hold on the stake before throwing it to the ground angrily. He moved close to her, much like he'd done before, but this time was much more sinister.

"Whatever happens, it's on you." He told her quietly and Stefan ushered Caroline into the school.

"I'm going to go with them." Elena murmured and followed her boyfriend. Grace lowered her hands and picked up the fallen stake. She threw it away and sighed heavily.

"Why spare Caroline?" Damon asked her. "You and her never got along."

"She doesn't deserve to die, Damon." She said.

"Caroline won't make it as a vampire. Remember a girl named Vicki Donavan? Barbie is headed down the same road." He scoffed.

"Maybe she'll prove you wrong. Besides, I can only hope that if I became a vampire that someone would try to stop you from killing me." Damon flinched visibly and stared down at Grace.

"Well, I wouldn't let you turn in the first place," he said.

Grace peered up at him in disbelief and shook her head. "Don't make promises you can't keep." The vampire opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly let out a groan and clutched his head. He fell to his knees, crying out and Bonnie appeared from behind him.

"Bonnie! What are you doing?" Grace shrieked.

"I told you what would happen if anyone else got hurt." She ignored Grace and concentrated her powers on the whimpering vampire.

"I didn't do this." Damon writhed.

"It's not his fault. It's Katherine's fault." Grace fought.

Bonnie kept her glare on Damon. "Everything that happens is his fault, Grace." She raised her hands and Damon's skin started to burn. He was screaming now and rolling on the floor.

"Bonnie, stop it!" Grace screamed and Damon's arm caught fire. The witch was unresponsive, as if she was in a trance. "Bonnie, Bonnie, stop it! You're going to kill him!" Damon's skin was charring and his screams made Grace panic. In a last stitch effort, she unwrapped her wings from her back and shot an orb of energy at the witch, knocking her down. That broke Bonnie's concentration and the fire on Damon was extinguished. Grace spread her wings out as if to guard the vampire from any other damage that Bonnie would cause.

Bonnie got back on her feet and clenched her fists. "Why did you stop me?!"

"Because you weren't listening." Grace said and looked behind her to see Damon on his hands and knees.

"He is the reason for everything that is going on wrong in this town." She grumbled and flapped her wings a little. Bonnie knew what she was ever since Elena told her.

"This isn't you, Bon. You're not a killer." The Guardian spoke and the witch frowned at Damon. She completely lost herself in her own powers and felt ashamed that she let it happen. Bonnie cast a look at Grace who had kneeled beside Damon before rushing off.

"You're out of your mind." Damon nursed his burning skin.

"Yes, I am." Grace helped him to his feet.

"You don't have any fire extinguishing powers, do you?" He asked.

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes and slung his arm over her shoulder.

"Damn witch." He groaned as they walked to her car.

* * *

><p>"Ouch! Stop it!"<p>

"My God, you're the worst patient ever!"

"Don't touch it!"

"Damon, don't start with me!" Grace wagged a finger at him and looked at the burn that had spread to his chest. His vampire healing hadn't done anything for the wound at all and even blood packs weren't getting the job done. They sat up in her now cleaned up room and Damon was grumbling that he had to throw out another one of his designer shirts.

"You just want to see me with my shirt off." He smirked and hissed out when Grace trailed her fingers over his burned skin.

"Bonnie must have really overdone it." She murmured.

"She's lucky I don't kill her." Damon growled and Grace glared at him.

"If you don't want burns worse than these, then I suggest you stay away from Bonnie. Better yet, stay away from everyone." She told him firmly.

"What about bird-boy and bird-brain?" The vampire chuckled at his two nicknames for Adam and Violet.

Brown and blue orbs met one another and she shrugged, smiling a little. "You don't have to stay away from them."

"Yes." He fist pumped, but gritted his teeth in pain.

"Will you stop moving? I have to concentrate to fix this." She placed both hands on his chest.

"Why are you helping me anyway? You hate me for snapping Jeremy's neck and kissing Katherine." He said.

"And wrecking my room," she added quickly.

"That too." Damon rolled his eyes. "But why are you bothering to help me?"

Grace's hands grew warm against Damon's skin and glowed as they healed him. The vampire peered down at his burn marks and they were quickly becoming erased. "Guardians always want to help others. No matter if they're vampires or whatever. I've been learning a lot about them."

"Hmm, interesting." He hummed.

"I guess it's in my blood." Grace shrugged unsurely and trailed her fingers lower to his torso where the burn twisted and mangled his once perfect, porcelain skin. "Adam, and Violet, and even my mom don't really get why I talk to you and Stefan. I try to tell them that you're not all bad, but they just think I'm crazy."

"You mean like how there's good in me?" His statement caught her off guard and she faltered slightly.

"You...you read my diary?" She asked him.

"It was just lying open on your bed." He said.

"I should be mad at you, but I'm not." Grace sighed, flexing her fingers over his healing skin. "You are good, Damon. Other people don't see it, but I do."

The raven haired vampire abruptly got up from the edge of the bed, swatting Grace's hands away. "Don't, Grace." He didn't want to hear this, not from her. He was the bad brother, that's the way it has always been.

"Please, Damon. Don't push me away." She followed him and gently took his upper arm.

"You need to get this through your head. I am not good." He snapped. "I turned your aunt into a vampire, I snapped Jeremy's neck, I kill people."

"You rescued me from that car crash, you came back for me in that tomb, and you dragged me out of a burning building." She proclaimed. "Why is it so hard for you to accept that you do good things?"

"Because I'm the bad guy. I'm the bad brother. I do bad things, I get jealous, and I hurt you." Damon hissed angrily and yanked his arm away from her hold.

"You're stubborn, you know that?" Grace shouted and shoved his shoulder.

"And what are you? You're just as bad as I am." He bellowed loudly.

"Me?! You're the worst! I don't want to give up on you, Damon, but-"

"Just give it a rest, Grace." Damon droned.

The Guardian huffed and pushed the vampire so hard that he fell backwards into his chest of drawers. "I've had it with you! You're stubborn, you're arrogant, you're-" Damon smashed his lips onto Grace's to quiet her and the Guardian immediately tensed up. This kiss was different from the kiss they shared the night he snapped Jeremy's neck. While they were both firm and a bit rough, this one made Grace melt into him. She whimpered as Damon gripped her hips and pulled her body flush against his. Grace's hands nestled themselves inside his luscious locks, her fingers winding around them and her nails passing over his scalp. She didn't know what had happened, but somewhere along the lines, the sexual tension got the best of them. Any and all thoughts about Mason or Adam disintegrated and she was drowning in the vampire in front of her. Damon blurred them and pinned Grace to the wall, hoisting her up and easing her to wrap her legs around his waist. Her hands that were in his hair danced down the sides of his neck, around his shoulders, and over his strong back. Her nails circled his shoulder blades and he shuddered, moaning against her lips. Something in Damon made Grace feel wild and untamed. With Adam she always had to be refined and gentle, but with Damon she was free and could let her hair down. Hot lust pooled in her belly and she swiped her tongue across his bottom lip. As Damon opened his mouth to let his tongue brush against hers, Grace toyed with his lip between her teeth. She smirked against his lips hearing him purr wantonly and she ground his lip, dragging it and yanking at it. She could feel his pulse beating loudly and she kissed him even harder, eager to feel more of him. The Guardian then tasted a coppery substance in her mouth and she must have scraped Damon's lip open with her teeth. She suckled the skin and drank down his blood, relishing in the rich, metallic taste. Damon pressed Grace even harder into the wall and gripped her V-neck shirt in his hands. The sound of ripping fabric penetrated her ears and his warm, smooth skin rubbed against hers. He grabbed her breasts, massaging them tenderly and Grace broke away from his lips to breathe. Black eyes were upturned towards the ceiling, but she hardly noticed it. She was too high to even realize that she was falling deeper and deeper into the pools of her own lust. Damon pressed a few kisses along her collarbone and peered up at her to see those glassy, black eyes. He pulled away, cupping her cheek and examining her eyes.

"Why did you stop?" Her grin was painted with desire.

"Grace, your eyes." He panted and set her down. The Guardian felt underneath her eyes and ran to the bathroom. She screamed at the top of her lungs seeing her black orbs in the mirror. Her wings materialized and they started to turn black. She started screaming again and the lights in the bathroom flickered above her head. The mirror shattered and objects on the counter flew off the surface and to the floor. The vampire took Grace by the shoulders and shook her, trying to make her stop tearing his room apart.

"Calm down, Grace." He cooed. "Just take it easy. I need you to breathe for me." Grace clenched her fists and her entire body shook in tremors. "It's okay, feathers." Damon ran his hands through her hair as she calmed down. Her eyes returned to their normal hue and everything in the room stopped. They stood there in complete silence and Grace modestly pressed her wings against her back, folding them one over the other so they didn't take up too much space. Silence surrounded them as they looked around the room. Grace let out a deep breath while Damon was in awe of what had just happened.

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><p><strong>**Hmm, well it seems like Damon and Grace are getting a little more involved ;) Who was that mysterious man speaking with Adam and Violet? And what did he want with the moonstone? Grace's inner darkness is starting to emerge and it is getting the other Guardians worried. Will this darkness consume her?**<strong>

**Please review and check out my responses to your reviews!**

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><p><strong>grapejuice101: <strong>Yay! I fiiiinnnaallyy made it to season two! I can't wait to put my own spin on it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reviewing!

**Tvdlover87654: **Thank you for reviewing! Grace and Damon always think they are in the clear, but then something bad happens to them. Maybe this is why they share such empathy for one another. Adam and Violet are certainly causing a lot of trouble in Mystic Falls...I wonder what they'll be up to next!

**Lady Syndra: **Thanks for your review! Yes, Damon trashed Grace's room :( Here's your update! Hope you enjoyed it :)

**Lycan Lover 411:** Thank you for reviewing :D Adam is a bit of a twit and now that he's with Violet, he's an even bigger twit! Damon wrecked Grace's room because he was so angry with seeing her diary and what she wrote. He felt like she figured him out and he hated reading that. Hopefully, they'll overcome it all!

**SomebodyWhoCares:** Thanks for your review! Yeah, Damon and Grace keep getting closer, but every time they do, they end up taking three steps back. Grace will be challenged a lot in this story and it will make her or break her.

**tvdspnislife:** Damon and Grace do get angry with one another, but they find themselves feeling empathy for each other because they are more alike than they think. With Katherine, Damon was always second best. With Adam, Grace was always second best. They were both hurt by someone they loved very much. I know that Grace should be angry with Damon and make him pay for it, but because she feels that empathy, she can't force herself to not forgive him to an extent. In this chapter, she never said that she forgave him and Damon also said that he wouldn't apologize. Be patient, they'll have their "I love you" revelation and it will be intense! Thanks so much for reviewing!

**vilgyt888: **Thanks for reviewing! Here's your update and I hope that you enjoyed it!

**aireagle92:** Is that "OMG!" a good or a bad thing?! Here's your update!

**Thenchick:** Thank you for reviewing! I'm trying to post more chapters as often as I can and I hope you're enjoying them!

**demonicpet1:** Thanks for reviewing! Glad to hear that you're into my story! Here is your update and I hope you enjoyed it!

**Guest: **Here's an update! Thank you for your review!

**Graciiee: **Hi girl! Thanks so much for reviewing! I was pretty happy to have Damon give Grace his blood too! Katherine is a bitch, but she's a lot of fun to write! Grace will have her day to take Katherine down and a few other people as well, but until then, I'll keep this story going :) Aww *blushes* Thanks for that, girl! That made my day and I am so glad that you are enjoying my story!

**Guest: **Thank you for reviewing! Damon and Grace are somewhat friends even though they sometimes push each other away, but they'll come together soon!

**Guest: **Thanks for your review! I want to give Grace her own story and life that will mesh nicely with the show. It's a little harder to come up with a story for Grace because I'm making up a new race of creatures that will have to mix well with the plot. I'd like to think that I'm doing a good job so far :)

**Guest: **Thank you, thank you, thank you! Grace is a pretty awesome character and I do like her scenes with Elijah and Damon too!

**MaggieTVDlover: **Thank you for reviewing! I like Grace and Damon together too! They share some pretty nice moments and I am hoping to get them together soon!


	28. Bad Moon Rising

**Bad Moon Rising**

**Chapter 28: Bad Moon Rising**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries. I only own my characters and my story.**

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><p><em>"Hey, Grace. It's me again. Listen...I'm really sorry about what happened at the carnival the other night, but I want to make it up to you. Please give me a call. Talk to you later."<em>

Grace placed her phone on the coffee table and took another sip from her mug of tea. She hadn't returned Mason's calls in days, but he still insisted on trying to reach her. At night she'd be plagued of nightmares that painted the horrific image of Mason chasing her through the woods. In the dreams, it was always raining and her wings weren't able to help her fly away. His sharp claws would slash through the mesh of bone and feathers and she'd be at his mercy. The mud on the ground below her would be tainted red with her blood and Mason would be howling at the full moon.

"Wolverine's calling you again?" Damon ruse made her look up from her mug.

"Jealous again, Damon?" She quipped and cupped her hands around the cup to warm them. "Why don't you trash my room again? It's the third door on your right, but I'm sure you already knew that."

Damon didn't reply, he was saved by the door bell ringing and he checked the grandfather clock in the hall. "Grace, would you be a dear and get that?" Damon grinned cheekily and the Guardian sighed before pushing herself off the couch and traipsing over to the front door. She opened it to reveal Alaric standing there and she gave him a timid smile.

"Hi, Alaric. Come on in." She ushered him inside the living room.

"Thanks for coming, Ric." Stefan greeted him.

"I got you something to drink? Coffee, bourbon? Bourbon in your coffee?" Damon snarked and Alaric rolled his eyes.

"You mentioned you needed my help," he said.

Stefan sat beside Elena, placing her hand comfortingly on her thigh. "Yeah, we were hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family."

Alaric gave Stefan a strange look. "Now, why would I know anything about the Lockwoods?"

"Well, you wouldn't. But your dead not dead vampire wife might." The elder Salvatore sat next to Grace.

"Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together." Elena said and squeezed her boyfriend's hand firmly.

Grace leaned forward, passing a hand through her hair. "You said that she had spent years researching this town."

Alaric stared back at the girl and sighed. "Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls rooted in folklores and legends, but at the time I thought much of which was fiction."

"Like that amazing vampire story." Damon smirked.

"Aside from vampires, what else?" Grace wondered.

"The lycanthrope." Alaric replied and both girls cast a shocked glance to each other.

"Wait, like werewolves?" Elena gaped.

Damon shook his head. "No way, impossible, way too Lon Chaney."

"Is it?" His brother raised an eyebrow.

"I've been on this planet one hundred and sixty some odd years, never came across one." The raven haired vampire bragged. "If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?"

"Why do you suspect the Lockwoods?" Alaric asked curiously.

"Because vervain didn't affect the mayor at Founder's day but the Gilbert device did and it affected his son Tyler." Grace chimed in.

Stefan nodded. "And at the school carnival his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought with one of the carnival's worker."

"And I had a weird vision about Mason. He was someplace dark and had chains around him." The Guardian murmured.

"Very kinky." The raven haired vampire snickered and Grace cast him a look of disgust.

"Wait, visions?" Alaric asked the girl.

"I'm not human. I'm a Guardian. They're a race of-"

"I remember Isobel talking about them." He interrupted her and she suddenly was very intrigued.

"Does she have any research about them?" Grace asked excitedly.

"I'm sure she does, but-"

"Look, this little conversation is great, but we need to know for sure if the Lockwoods are werewolves." Damon jumped in and Grace growled under breath.

"Do you mind?!" She hissed and he waved innocently at her. Grace turned back to Alaric, trying her best to ignore the grinning vampire. "Look, what happened at the carnival with Mason and Tyler was weird. Definitely not human."

Stefan agreed, nodding his head. "It suggests it's some sort of a supernatural entity."

"We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure it out what it is." Elena chimed in.

"Well, all her things are still at Duke. I mean her office is still there, she's technically still missing." Ric sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"So can we get access to it?" The elder Salvatore questioned and Ric seemed reluctant to reply. "Rick, we need to know what we are dealing with. If this wolf men thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good. It means Mason Lockwood is a real life Lon Chaney and that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney junior which means Bella Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed."

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><p>Grace zipped up her bag and tossed it in the back of Ric's car. She reached up to pull the lift gate down and she slammed it closed, causing Alaric to give her a warning look.<p>

"Sorry," she mumbled apologetically and leaned against the side of the car.

"You okay?" Elena asked. "I can go with you if..."

The Guardian shook her head. "No, you need to be there for Caroline. I can deal with Damon."

Elena chuckled and gave Grace a tight hug. "Try not to set him on fire."

"If he starts it-"

"Grace!" Elena scolded as she pulled back.

"Fine...I'll try to be nice." She grumbled. "And if I find anything about Katherine or doppelgangers, I'll bring it back."

"Okay sure! You're sure you don't want me to take a ride with you?"

"Oh, I'll take really good care of her, Elena." Damon appeared beside Grace and opened up the front passenger side door, gesturing for her to hop up and sit there. "Your chariot awaits, my lady."

Grace wouldn't ever admit it out loud, but Damon could be a gentleman at times. She'd save those innermost thoughts for her diary which now had a new hiding place in her room. She rolled her eyes and walked around the vampire and the open door to the back of the car. She popped open the door and climbed in the backseat leaving Damon awfully crestfallen.

"Okay. Time to go." He got in the front and closed the door. Grace rolled down her window and waved to both Stefan and Elena.

"What if people ask for you?" The brunette girl asked.

"Just cover for me," Grace replied.

"What about Adam or Mason?" Stefan chimed in and Damon tensed hearing those two names.

"Tell them I'm out of town...with Damon." She said with a grin and gave them one last wave before rolling up the window and getting comfortable in her seat. Alaric started the engine and pulled away from the curb, their journey to Duke had begun. Grace watched the trees whoosh past her as she bid Mystic Falls farewell for the day.

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><p>"How are you doing back there?" Damon asked over his shoulder, but Grace didn't reply. His blue eyes checked the rearview mirror to see the Guardian settled in the backseat with buds in her ears. He could hear the graceful ballad playing, but couldn't name the piece. Leave dancers to find the most creative music that no one knows, the vampire thought to himself. She was staring serenely out the car window and Damon could practically see the assortment of dances she was piecing together in her head.<p>

"She's ignoring you, man." Alaric said and Damon shrugged his shoulders.

"Wouldn't be the first woman." He sighed.

"So, she's a Guardian?" The teacher looked at Grace too in the mirror, but she hadn't noticed because she was still in her own world.

"Yep. A little thing with wings." Damon replied and fiddled with his ring. "What do you know about them?"

Alaric clicked his signal on as he merged onto the parkway. "Not much. I'd hear little obvious things from Isobel like the wings. Is she the only one?"

"Nah, there are two other bird brains in town like her." The vampire quipped.

"I'm guessing by your tone that you don't care for them?" He chuckled slightly.

"Well, Guardians are supposed to hate and kill vampires. Draw your own conclusions." He deadpanned.

"And Grace?" That caught Damon off guard and he was silent for a moment. "Clearly she's spending her time with you when she could be with her Guardian friends."

Damon's crystalline gaze found Grace's form in the mirror once again and this time her forehead was pressed against the window and her eyes were falling closed. She was fighting sleep, but the rocking motion of the car was lulling her to close her eyes. When she finally did, the faintest of smiles pulled at the corners of Damon's lips.

"She's different." He replied and Ric seemed mildly satisfied with that answer as he stepped on the gas.

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><p>"So, Isobel was officially employed by the anthropology department given that most paranormal phenomenon is rooted in folklore." Alaric explained as they entered the university. Grace was rubbing the sleep from her eyes, yawning and dragging her feet, wishing that she was asleep again.<p>

"Shake a leg, feathers." Damon grinned and she sent him a deathly glare. "You know, this little road trip we're on? I'm kinda liking it."

"I'm counting down the seconds till I get home," she said under her breath and Damon yanked her aside without Alaric seeing them. He pulled her into a deserted hallway where they couldn't be seen and stared down at her.

"Okay, your attitude is putting a serious kink in my mood." He said gruffly.

"And your presence is putting a major kink in my mood." She countered. "I'm not here to be your friend, Damon. I just want to find answers about Katherine and about myself."

"Well, you kissing me last night says that we're somewhere in between friends and friends with benefits." He growled and Grace was nearly left speechless. "How do you explain that one, Grace?"

"You kissed me." She defended.

"And you kissed me back, quite eagerly might I add." Damon said. "And then you got high off my blood like some deprived junkie."

"That part I can't explain. That's why I'm here." She crossed her arms over her chest. "That scared me, Damon. Vampires like blood, not Guardians. So, what the hell is wrong with me?" Her tough exterior was crumbling just a little. "I'm craving blood. That's not normal. Look, Damon-"

"The next time you plan on kissing me, you better have a damn good reason." His voice cut her like a sharp knife. He was tense and his jaw was rigid. "I was already strung along by Katherine and I won't let it happen again."

"I would never." She admitted meekly, shaking her head. "But you didn't let me finish." He gritted his teeth, waiting patiently for her to continue. "Damon, I don't know if I kissed you back was because I wanted blood or something else. But...just please be patient with me until we find out."

The vampire deflated slowly and his once erect posture was slightly relaxed. He didn't verbally reply, but he nodded. Grace gave a relived sigh and they both emerged from the hallway to see Alaric not there in the main lobby. She got the attention of a tall women with long auburn hair.

"Excuse me, hi. We were here with Alaric Saltzman and we got lost." Grace explained and the woman looked awfully spooked as she looked strangely at her. "Could you tell us where he went?"

The girl seemed to be shaken from her fog and plastered a big smile on her face. "Oh, of course. I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant comparative folklore. Mr. Saltzman is in Isobel's office. I'll take you there. It's this way." The pair followed Vanessa down the winding hallways and she led them to an open door where Alaric was looking about curiously.

"Thank you." Grace smiled.

"No problem. Let me just grab the light, feel free to look around. It's fascinating isn't it?" She left the office and both Grace and Damon were off put by her demeanor.

"Where'd you two run off to?" Alaric asked them.

"I had to pry Damon off some sorority chicks." The Guardian answered and the vampire smirked to himself.

"Let's start looking." The teacher thumbed through some papers at Isobel's desk while Grace and Damon scanned some old books on the shelves. She slipped off her jacket and tossed it aside on a chair before taking a book off the window ledge.

"Where did she go?" Damon asked Alaric and he shrugged his shoulders, too involved with digging to respond or care. Grace was skimming the pages of the book when she felt a prickling sensation on her back. Her wings immediately sprouted and she whipped around to see Damon across the room, chuckling like an idiot while Alaric was staring at her in shock. Unfortunately, her wings randomly sprouting from her back was a reflex reaction. If she felt her back being threatened, they'd appear. She guessed that it was a survival instinct, but it was very bothersome at times.

"Damon!" She hissed.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." He smirked.

"I'm going to kill you!"

"Will you put those things away." Ric chided and the Guardian scowled.

"It's not my fault that he—" Grace stopped when she caught sight of Vanessa standing in the doorway armed with a crossbow aimed right at Damon. Her instincts kicked in and she flew towards the vampire, her wings shielding him and she cried out as she felt an arrow spear her right wing. She crumpled, bracing herself against the shelves as her wings wilted. Not wasting anytime, Ric then pushed her against the wall and she fought him with all of her might.

"Grace, you alright?" Damon helped her to her feet and she peered over her shoulder to see a wooden arrow pierced through her wing.

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><p>Alaric had managed to wrestle Vanessa into another room to calm her down which meant that Damon and Grace were still in Isobel's office. The Guardian was braced against a desk, her back to Damon as he examined her injured wing. The arrow had gone right through and was sticking out quite painfully.<p>

"Just pull it out, please," she whimpered.

"I'm trying, feathers." Damon grasped the shaft of the arrow and wiggled it around and Grace tightened her grip on the edge of the desk.

"That bitch. I'm going to strangle her with my bare hands." Grace promised.

"And I'll help. Okay, deep breath." He coached and she closed her eyes tightly. "1...2..." With all of his swiftness, he yanked the arrow out of her wing and Grace winced.

"What happened to three?!" She growled and Damon tossed the arrow on the table.

"A 'thank you' would have been nice." The vampire said and Grace shivered, the speared part of her wing starting to heal over. The feathers that had split fibers wilted and fell from the follicles, allowing new white feathers to grow back. She flapped her newly healed wing and stretched out fully.

"Can you check for splinters?" She asked him and if she could only see the deadpan look screwed up on his face. "Please?" She just had to add that, he thought to himself. Damon placed his hands on her wing and gently prodded the flesh and feathers with his fingers. Grace shifted back and forth on the balls of her feet and bit her lip to keep herself from giggling out loud. It felt like she was getting a massage and it felt wonderful.

"Feel anything?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Nope." She expected him to let go of her wing, but he kept checking it. The skin felt tender and warm under his touch and her wing trembled a little. Grace then folded her wings neatly against her back and she turned to face the vampire.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"No problem." Damon nodded curtly. Her wings were still out, but pressed tightly together, the bottom of one overlapping the other. The black feathers were gone from the night before and just the way the light from the window was hitting her form, it created a small halo around her head. Their intense stare was broken when she heard Vanessa shouting loudly from the other room. Deciding to check it out, Damon led Grace into the room where Alaric was speaking with Vanessa.

"Please! I freaked out okay? Alright, you would have done the same thing. It's not possible!" She shouted. "Damon Salvatore died in 1864 and Guardians are going extinct. Okay, I read Isobel's research."

"Well, then you should know just how possible this is." Alaric told her calmly.

"Wait, Guardians are going extinct?" Grace exclaimed.

"I'd be extra nice to us right now" Damon grumbled. "Especially her." He jerked his head to the brunette next to him.

"Why did you attack him?" Grace asked Vanessa.

"Because I thought that he was going to hurt you, Grace." She replied.

The Guardian gave her a confused look. "How do you know my name?"

Vanessa moved to one of the desks in the room and opened the drawer. She fished around and pulled out a photo of Grace and Isobel. "She would always talk about you."

"Really?" Grace gingerly took the photo, her eyes scanning over the shiny finish.

"Yes," Vanessa nodded. "And she would tell me that you were...special and unique. She knew that you were going to become a Guardian because her sister, your mom, was one."

Grace nodded slowly, letting it all sink in. "I just wish that I wasn't the last to know...as always." She handed the photo back to Vanessa who put it back where she found it. "Listen, Vanessa. We need your help digging up some information. That's why we came here."

"I'll try to help you as much as I can, but..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Damon who looked less than thrilled. The Guardian followed her eyes and she shook her head.

"He's fine. He's with us." She assured her. "I'm sure you already know, but this is Damon Salvatore." Vanessa didn't say a word. She was afraid that the vampire would rip her throat out if she did.

"I have a profound effect on making women speechless when they're around me." Damon smirked.

"Gross." Grace murmured under her breath, but Damon was going to pretend that he didn't hear that. "We need some information about Katherine Pierce. My cousin, Elena Gilbert, is her doppelganger and a descendent of hers."

"I'll go grab some stuff and I'll see what else I can find." She said and quickly left the room, purposely going the long way around Damon.

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><p>Eventually, Vanessa came back with a cardboard box filled with papers and books. Alaric and Damon were digging around through some books in another room while the girls started to go through the box.<p>

"This box checks Katherine's arrival to Mystic Falls in April 1864." Vanessa said.

Grace started digging in and reading some documents. "Is that all there is about her?"

"All that I'm aware of." She nodded and Grace spied a sprig of vervain lying in the box. She peered over her shoulder to see Damon's back facing her and looked back to Vanessa.

"Here, take this." She whispered and the girl picked at the sprig.

"Does vervain really work?" Vanessa asked quietly and Grace nodded.

"Nope, not at all." Damon's voice carried from the other room and both girls exchanged a glance.

Vanessa leaned closer to Grace. "Can he hear us?"

"No, that would be creepy." The vampire whispered loudly.

"Can he read minds too?"

Damon then fully turned around and stood in the doorway. "You know, if you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask."

Grace glared at him. "No, that he can't do." She lugged a heavy book from the box and slammed it down on the table. "He is very capable of being a first rate jackass." Vanessa giggled at that and tucked the vervain in her pocket while Damon smirked at Grace before turning back to his work.

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><p>"Any luck?" Damon scooted behind her and she shook her head.<p>

"There's nothing in here about Katherine that we don't already know." She told him. "The same with Guardians. Adam taught me everything and what's in these books is exactly the same to what he taught me."

Damon grimaced, frowning deeply. "Ah, man, you know, it's a bummer we're not friends anymore because I could tell you what I know."

Grace turned to face him, a glare in her eyes. "Now who's manipulating who? I just saved you from a psycho with a crossbow."

"Hey guys, check this out." Alaric said and the two put their fight on hold before crowding around him and Vanessa.

"There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls, but here are some records of some of the lesser known legends. Everything from Scandinavian skin walkers to Marsh L'durets." She handed them a book with intricate drawings and sayings scrawled on the page. She read one off aloud quite eloquently. "Which roughly translates into the "curse of the sun and the moon".

"It's Native American." Alaric noted.

"Aztec." Vanessa corrected him. "It explains one origin of the werewolf curse traced through Virginia. The short story: Six hundred years ago, the Aztecs were plagued by werewolves and vampires. They terrorized the countryside, made farming and hunting impossible until an Aztec shaman cursed them, making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon. As a result, vampires could only prowl at night and werewolves could only turn on a full moon. When the full moon crests in the sky, who's ever unlucky enough to fall under the werewolf curse turns into a wolf."

Damon was intrigued now. "Can they control the transformation?"

Vanessa shook her head. "If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse. Werewolves will attack humans but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice: vampires."

"Well, if werewolves were hunting vampires, I would know about it." The vampire muttered.

"Not if there aren't that many werewolves left alive." The girl suggested. "Hundreds of years ago, vampires hunted them almost to extinction."

"Why would they do that?" Grace asked.

"To protect themselves. Legend has it that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires." Vanessa said and looked to Grace.

"Did you find anything else on Guardians for me?" She asked hopefully, but the girl shook her head, frowning.

"Sorry, but I pulled everything about them." Grace's eyes were downcast, feeling even more hopeless than when she first arrived at Duke.

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><p>They finally finished their work at the University and Grace was itching to get home. Ric was thanking Vanessa for her cooperation while Grace went out to the car. She struggled with the locked car and realized that she forgot to ask Ric for his keys. She tried the lock again and huffed tiredly, wishing that her Guardian powers could open locks.<p>

"Here. Allow me." Damon jingled the keys in front of her and unlocked the door for her. "You're not gonna be able to hate me forever."

"I'm tired, Damon. Can we just go?" She grumbled and the vampire looked over his shoulder before handing her a book.

"You didn't dig deep enough for Elena." She took it up in her hands and spied the name written on the binding.

"Petrova?"

"Katherine originally came from Europe," he explained. "Petrova was her real name. Katerina Petrova, to be exact." Damon mentioned, not failing to accent the Bulgarian nuance in her name.

"How did you know that?" She asked him curiously.

"Back when, I saw it engraved on an old heirloom. Men snoop too, you know. Let me know what you and Elena find; I'm very curious myself." He smirked and she rolled her eyes. She moved to open the car door, but his hand curled around her wrist.

"Let go of me!" Grace hissed.

"You have every right to hate me, I understand but you hated me before and we became friends. It would suck if that was gone forever." Damon said and tugged her closer so she was pressed up against his chest. "So, is it? Have I lost you forever?"

Grace didn't answer; she was getting lost in the feelings that were bubbling from the night before. That darkness...it was slowly consuming her. She managed to wrestle her hand away from him and she tucked the book against her.

"Thanks." She side stepped him, but Damon blocked her. "Seriously..."

"You didn't let me finish." He used her line from earlier in the day and pulled another book from his bag. It was much thicker and looked really old. The binding was practically holding on by threads and there were holes in the cover. "Clearly, Vanessa didn't want you finding this."

"Where did you get this? I looked on every shelf." She said.

Damon shrugged innocently. "I'm just awesome at snooping, feathers." Grace didn't react to his comment, the book in her hands felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. It could hold the answers that she had been so desperately searching for.

"Ready to go?"Ric asked as he jogged up to the car and Damon nodded before opening the door. Grace would have been snarky about it, but she just climbed into the backseat, her eyes on the leather-bound book.

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><p>Grace hadn't opened the book the entire ride home to Mystic Falls. It just sat on her lap and she toyed with the already faded leather. This book scared the hell out of her and not just by its size. The uncertainty of what it contained scared her. Damon was asleep in his room and Elena had slept over in Stefan's room, so Grace was the only one awake. Anxiously, Grace got comfortable in her bed, snuggled tightly under the covers and she propped the book on her legs which were bent at the knee. Taking a readying breath, she cracked open the cover and began to read. For the most part, all of Adam's teachings were resting on the worn pages, but as she started to read more, her anxiety only rose higher.<p>

_Guardian is from the Middle English word "gardien", from the Anglo-Norman, from Old French "gardien", from the alteration of "gardenc" from guarder, to guard. Guardians are technically angels. Guardians are believed to intercept at many times in peoples' lives and assist wherever they can to make our lives run more smoothly. At times Guardians may inspire a thought to spur us into action. In fact, there are many guardian stories where people are touched by an angel, which are often put down to luck or coincidence rather than to believe that there are truly guardian angels among us. However for those of us who have been touched by an angel there is no doubt that the miracle touch of a hand of Light was behind it._

_Guardians lived in peace since their creation, however a species was created that threatened their existence. Vampires hunt Guardians for their addictive blood. While it is succulent in taste, the blood of a Guardian also holds special powers that are unknown. It is said that if a vampire was to drink the blood of a Guardian, their sins would be cleansed, so perhaps that is why vampires would capture and keep Guardians as an endless food source in hopes to be cleansed for their wrongs they've committed against the human race. For centuries, Guardians have lived in fear of vampires and even try to destroy them since they are seen as beings who have "fallen from grace."_

Grace turned the page to see a drawing of a naked female Guardian who was bound in chains and being fed off of by vampires. Their hands were all over her and the Guardian's lips were open as if screaming in agony. Bite marks were all over her skin and blood dripped down her body. Her wings were mangled, the bones broken and the feathers wilting. Another drawing showed a male Guardian on his knees, begging a group of vampires to spare him, but they weren't willing to let him go. Vampires stood behind him, slashing his back with whips and drinking from the open cuts. She frowned and ran her fingertips over the drawing, wishing that her kind were never persecuted in such a way and wondered if vampires had completely annihilated the entire race save for a few. Shaking the thought away, she continued reading.

_Not all Guardians are completely pure.__In fact, like humans, they are tempted by their desires, perfection, and thirsts for power. The Celestial Court oversees all Guardians and if they get wind of a Guardian that is becoming consumed by his/her own darkness, they will send Guardians to exorcise the darkness from them._

Adam...maybe he was the Guardian sent to help Grace? The Guardian flipped through more pages, eagerly wanting to find more about the darkness inside her.

_This darkness can be accelerated, or accented by drinking the blood of their enemy. If a Guardian drinks vampire blood, they slowly become addicted and exhibit the malicious behaviors of vampires. Their thirst for vampire blood becomes a driving factor and their own Guardian appearance begins to change. The feathers on their wings change from a pure white to an onyx black and their eyes turn the same color. Overconsumption of vampire blood can be a huge risk for a Guardian since they cannot undo the darkness that had already rooted itself inside__its__host. Furthermore..._

Grace tossed the book to the floor, tears running down her pale cheeks. Her worst fears had been confirmed, that her own personal decent into darkness had already begun and there was nothing that she could do to stop it. She was angry with herself. How could she let this happen? She thought that she was stronger than this. And what about the Guardians that would have to exorcise her? Had they come already and were they waiting for the right time to strike? Were they watching her? Would they take her powers away? Why was she given this gift of being a Guardian? Why did both of her parents have to be Guardians? Why couldn't she be a normal girl? Her anger then quickly switched to Damon, the vampire who had been a nuisance to her ever since she came home. Did he know about Guardians consuming vampire blood what would happen to them? He had to have known! Why else would he try to tempt her by kissing her?

Heat rose up under her skin, burning and rushing through her veins. Small embers started to sprout along the floor, surrounding her bed and she immediately broke her trance of anger before she burned the entire boarding house to the ground. She beat at the flames with her blankets and pillows, extinguishing the flames until they were nothing more than puffs of smoke in the air. She was losing control of her powers and herself. Grace collapsed to her knees, letting herself really cry for the first time in a long time. She never felt so alone in all of her life. She just wanted someone to tell her that things would get better, but she wouldn't have believed them. Her shoulders shook, trembling with her quiet sobs and Grace just sunk deeper into her own sadness.

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><p><strong>Graciiee<strong>: Heeeyy! Thanks for the review, girl! I always look forward to them :) Mason and Grace have their little moments, but Damon and Grace are on a whole other level, hehe ;) I think that Damon feels sorry for Grace because she is going through a lot of things that she can't really control. It's almost like he's watching a vampire grow into themselves. It's not quite the same thing, but I think if he thinks of it in that way, he can understand her a little better. I am seriously in loovee with the Damon's nickname for Grace too! She sometimes hates it, but deep down, she really likes it! Talk to you soon! Looking forward to your next update :)

**Arinlianette****: **Thank you for reviewing! I want Mason and Grace to have some more moments, but because she has a feeling that he is a werewolf, she might steer clear of him for a little while. Don't worry, they will have their moments. Well, there already is a little bit of a love-triangle going on because Damon does get jealous whenever Mason's name is dropped. We all know that Mason doesn't stay around for long, but I'll find some way to squeeze in some Grason (my name for them, hehe!) moments.

**SomebodyWhoCares: **Thanks for the review! Well, that mysterious man won't be known till later on in the story, but feel free to take a stab at who it could be. The moonstone will be very special to Guardians and that will also be revealed as the story moves on. Maybe Grace will succumb to her own darkness, or maybe someone will help to pull her out. Damon and Grace are on shaky ground and her canoodling with Mason isn't making Damon any happier. With the end of this last chapter, Grace is now questioning if Damon knew about what was written in the book and she'll be very short with him in the next chapter.

**Guest: **Here's your update :)

**grapejuice101: **Thanks for reviewing :) I don't like Violet either, but I do like writing her because she's a complete and total bitch! If you have an idea on who the mysterious man is, feel free to leave it in a review, but I won't be telling you if you're right or not :-P

**Guest: **Thank you for your review :)

**vilgyt888: **Thank you for reviewing! Hope you enjoy this update! Grace's inner darkness is pretty scary and it's even scaring Grace. Hehe, I didn't want Damon and Grace to stop either, but they will have more moments in the future;)

**Lycan Lover 411: **Thanks for reviewing :D Hehe, leave it to Grace to make-out with two guys in one night ;) I agree, her darkness is getting scary and Grace is now very fearful of it! The guy in the hood may very well be an elder Guardian and the term "blackbird" is referring to Grace. I figured I'd use that nickname because her wings are starting to turn black, so I felt that it was a fitting name to give her. Either that or raven...something with black wings, LOL! Who wouldn't want to see Damon with his shirt off?! I could stare at that all daaayy loonngg ;)

**sarahhxx: **Thank you for reviewing! I want Damon and Grace together too, but it will take some time! Be patient :)

**sarahmichellegellarfan1: **Thanks for all of your reviews on this story :D Grace and Damon are really funny together! They have a banter between them that if effortless and they definitely have a chemistry. I don't like Adam or Violet, but they will act as kind of antagonists during the story.

**tiacombs96****: **Thank you for reviewing :) I'm glad you enjoy my story and my own twists that I am adding to the Original plotline. Well, this chapter didn't have much information about the mysterious man with Adam and Violet, but there was some light shed on Grace's darkness. I hope you enjoyed this update :)

**rosa:** Thanks for reviewing! I'm trying to get the chapters out as quickly as I can, girl :) Woah! You're jumping all the waaayy to the end of Season 2 (which I don't even have any idea as to what I'm doing for that, LOL!). Damon and Grace will have their moments together, but it will take some time for them to get to being together. As for Damon turning Grace into a vampire, I've thought about it, but it might not happen because what the heck do you get when you cross a Guardian with a vampire?! Ahh!

**VampireSa5m1993: **Feel free to quote Elijah all you want, girl ;) Thanks for the review! Glad you're hooked and I hope you enjoyed this update!

**MouseyRose: **For your review on chapter 8, a red thing in her hand? I'm looking back and I don't know what you mean. And for your review on chapter 10, Damon would have found out by word of mouth. Perhaps he ran into one during his many years on earth :-P


	29. Memory Lane

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 29: Memory Lane**

**Beta:PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries. I only own my characters and plot.**

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><p><em>Sipping her last drops of tea, Grace rubbed her tired eyes as she shuffled to place her mug in the sink. She'd been very restless the past few nights, waking up for no apparent reason only to fight with herself to go back to sleep. She yawned and started her trek upstairs when she heard a noise coming from down the hall. With each step, the noise got louder and Grace knew that the noise would bother her until she found out what it was. Walking down the hall to Stefan's room, she quietly opened the door and peered inside. Elena was nuzzled into Stefan's chest and he was snoring quietly. His arms were wrapped around her, a promise that he'd keep her safe through thick and thin. Grace closed the door with a click and smiled to herself. She was happy that Elena was happy in her life. After her parents died, Elena wasn't the fun loving, carefree girl that Grace knew and loved, but now things were looking up for her.<em>

_The noise happened again and it sounded like...groaning. Grace figured that Damon was just sleeping or doing other things with his time, but a puddle of blood seeping from under the door and into the hallway made her blood freeze over. Rushing to the door, she opened it, but the door hit something heavy. With some extra force, Grace shoved it open to see that a body was blocking the way. __Its __neck was ripped out, bleeding all over the floor and that was what caused the puddle. Grace wanted to scream, but two shifting figures in the darkness made her keep quiet._

_Walking up to the bed, she saw wrapped in the sheets Damon with a brunette woman. His head was leaned back, eyes closed and he was moaning softly as the woman had her face buried in the crook of his neck. She was slurping hungrily and trails of blood escaped the wound on his neck. Grace's heart dropped thinking that it was Katherine who was feeding off of him since she could only see the woman's curls which were draped gracefully down her back. The Guardian turned on her heel, trying to shake herself from the dream, but Damon's whisper called out to her._

_"Grace." It was quiet, yet laced with pleasure and his eyes were beginning to open. The woman moved back from his neck, but not before licking over the bloody bite. Damon grabbed her face and brought her lips to smash against his in a bloody kiss and Grace couldn't look away from them. There was something so familiar about the woman in his lap, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. The couple parted and the woman peered at the Guardian over her shoulder and Grace's heart nearly stopped beating._

_The woman was her._

_Blood dribbled from her stained lips, her skin was pale and smooth like a porcelain doll, and her eyes were black as night. Grace wanted to run from her, but she was frozen in fear. Her shadow self smirked, her tongue darting out to lick some blood away and Grace was able to catch a movement on her back. Her shoulder blades were twitching, something dark was moving beneath her pale skin as if trying to break free. Her fingernails grew long and pointed and she slashed the skin on her back, allowing what was growing inside to come out along with some blood. Large black masses sprouted from her shoulder blades and the straightened out, flicking blood across the room and some splattered on Grace's face even though she had tried to shield herself. The wings on her back were not made of feathers;__instead they were like a sleek skin which were as black as her eyes. They didn't look like Grace's angel wings; they looked as if they belonged to Satan himself. Grace's s darker self opened her mouth and hissed at the other girl, revealing fangs and before Grace could even form the thought in her head to run, the demon was already flying towards her._

"NO!" Grace shot up in bed, a cold sweat soaking her pajamas and her heart was pounding in her chest. She swatted at her skin in an effort to wipe the blood away, but calmed once she realized that it was only a dream. She slumped back in bed, crumpling into the sheets and pillows and she closed her eyes. Her heartbeat returned to normal, but her darker self was haunting her. It was terrifying to see herself looking like some sort of demon. She certainly hoped that drinking more vampire blood wouldn't result in that.

"Bad dream?" Grace leaned up to see none other than Katherine Pierce standing by her bed.

"Katherine," the Guardian growled.

"How is my little feather head?" Katherine snickered and yanked the sheets off to reveal Grace's healed legs. "Hmm, Damon's blood did the trick." The Guardian pulled the sheets back from her, a glare in her eyes. "Be careful not to have too much. It's not good for you."

Grace's eyes widened and she hopped out of bed, following the vampire who was traipsing around her room. "How do you know that?"

"I've been around for five hundred years, Grace. I know a lot of things." She murmured and picked up one of her dance photos. "Ooh, does Damon know that you this flexible?" Grace sighed before snatching it back from her.

"What are you doing here, Katherine?" She asked heatedly.

"I came back for Stefan," the vampire replied and rushed around the room to jump on Grace's bed.

"Well, he's moved on if you haven't noticed." She said and grimaced as Katherine was making herself comfortable on her bed. "Now I have to burn my sheets."

"Aww, don't be so hostile. I know that you and I aren't on the best of terms after I compelled you to rip your own legs open, but I think that we can move past that." Katherine twirled a lock of hair absentmindedly.

"What makes you think that I'm so willing to move past all of that?" Grace glared and stood by the edge of the bed.

An evil smirk crossed Katherine's lips. "Oh...I see. You're still sour at me for kissing Damon." The Guardian shrunk a little, crossing her arms over her chest. "It was kinda cute that you were willing to protect him. I saw you hiding in the shadows."

"And you kissed him to prove what exactly?" She mused. "Only to shove it in his face that you don't love him and you never did?"

Katherine flashed to hold Grace's neck, pinning her to a chest of drawers. "You're cute when you get protective over him."

"I-"

"Don't even try to deny your feelings for him. You think it's just your cravings for blood? That's part of it, but the real thing is that you're a lot more like him than you are like your feathered friends." Katherine hissed and Grace held her stare. The vampire's eyes grew clouded with red when she realized that Stefan was leaning against the doorframe.

"Hello, my darling." She cooed and tossed Grace to the side who stumbled slightly.

"Terrorizing Grace again, Katherine?" Stefan growled.

Katherine sauntered to the green eyed vampire, swaying her hips seductively. "Of course not. Grace and I were just having some girl time."

"You alright?" Stefan asked the Guardian and she nodded.

"I'm fine."

"Stefan, you and I need to have a little chat." The female vampire cooed and brushed past him, gesturing for him to follow. Stefan cast a glance to Grace and she shrugged, letting Stefan have some time with Katherine.

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><p>"It's still weird that I'm serving you alcohol when you used to babysit for Elena." Jenna joked as she and Grace were looking in the kitchen for shot glasses.<p>

"Hey, I'm a grownup now, Aunt Jenna." Grace giggled and frowned when she opened up another cabinet. "Hmm, not here either."

"Good news! I found the shot glasses!" Mason announced and Grace froze in her spot. Why the hell was Mason here? She looked back at him curiously, but he greeted her like nothing weird had happened at the carnival some nights before.

"There's my dancer." He said warmly and kissed her cheek.

"Hi Mason." Grace smiled, trying to figure out if she was happy to see him or scared.

"How do you two know each other?" Jenna asked and took the shot glasses from him.

"We met at Tyler's father's wake." Mason replied and started pouring alcohol into the glasses.

"You're here for 10 minutes and I'm already back under the bleachers at the pep rally." Aunt Jenna grinned.

"Like old times, huh?" Mason chuckled and Grace raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, old times?"

"Yeah, Mason and I went to high school together." Jenna replied and Alaric entered the kitchen.

"Oh, the expensive stuff! I like you already." He clapped the man on the shoulder.

Mason grinned widely. "Just happy to be invited."

"Thank Ric, it was his idea," Jenna said.

"Really?" He asked and the history teacher nodded.

"Yeah, you know, I thought it would be nice to meet some of Jenna's high school friends. Dig up a little dirt." He joked and he helped Grace handed out the glasses.

"I've got dirt. I've got dirt." Mason smirked.

"I have no secrets. Only dirty shame." Jenna announced.

"Amen to that." Grace said under her breath.

Alaric chuckled and lifted his glass. "To dirty shame." They all cheered and knocked back their shots. Grace cringed at the burn sliding down her throat, but she needed a drink after the past few days. She was pouring herself another shot when her eyes caught sight of a cheeky Damon walking to meet Ric.

"Hey." He greeted and Jenna was practically stewing in her spot.

"Damon." She grumbled.

Eager to ease the tension, Alaric brought Damon over to the island. "We were just doing shots. Let me give you a shot glass, buddy."

"Here. Use mine" Jenna handed the vampire her glass after she'd just drank from it and Grace giggled to herself. Alaric frowned and went after Jenna who rushed from the kitchen.

Damon just gave a charming smile. "She doesn't like me very much."

"A lot of people don't." Grace sighed and opened up the box with her banana cream pie resting inside. She'd made it fresh the night before because she knew that it was Jenna's favorite and even she couldn't wait to eat it.

"Ooh, yummy." Damon smirked and ran his finger along the edge of the pie pan, collecting some extra whipped cream. He sampled it, sucking on his finger and the young Guardian glared at him. When Damon was finished, he gave a satisfied hum and a wink.

"Delicious."

Grace rolled her eyes and picked up the pie, wielding it with one hand. "If you do that again, Damon, this pie is going to be smashed in your face."

"I'd actually enjoy that." The vampire smirked and Mason snaked a protective arm around the smaller girl's waist.

"Easy, Grace. Don't waste a good pie." He told her amusedly and he could tell that Damon was getting antsy with him touching Grace.

"Fine. I'm going to put this in the fridge before I do something I regret." She hissed.

Mason stepped up to the taller man and held out his hand. "We haven't met. Mason Lockwood."

"Oh, sure. Damon Salvatore." The vampire greeted him cheerfully and Grace was rolling her eyes from behind the fridge door.

"I know." He smiled. "I heard great things about you."

Damon's forehead creased. "Really? That's weird...'cause I'm a dick."

"And everyone knows it." Grace muttered to herself as she was shifting some items around in the fridge to make room for her pie. Little did she know that both Damon and Mason were drinking in a nice view of her backside as she bent over. The Guardian continued to move this and move that while Damon was thinking about how his fangs would slice through the skin of her behind while Mason was trying to keep his inner wolf in check before he did something that he'd regret.

Grace finally found a spot for her pie and closed the fridge door, knocking both men from their admiration of her derrière, but that didn't stop them from staring at her.

"What?" She shrugged. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Damon handed her his boxed peach cobbler that he'd picked up at the Grill, a gleam in his eyes. "Could you be a doll and find room for this?"

"Maybe some other time." Grace shook her head and looked to Mason. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Mason looked a little shaken up by her tone, but he nodded anyway. "Uh, yeah, sure." She gripped his wrist, leading him out of the kitchen and all the while, Grace could feel Damon's jealousy oozing from his pores.

* * *

><p>Grace led them to a guest bedroom on the upper floor and locked the door behind them. Just as she turned around, Mason pressed her up against the door and kissed her on the mouth.<p>

_A black shadow flew through the air, yellow eyes ablaze and long white fangs gleaming in under the pale moonlight. Dark fur covered its entire body and a thick tail whipped back and forth. Sharp claws dug into the dry earth as the creature landed and low growls shook the ground beneath it._

Pushing Mason away, she broke the kiss and held a hand to her lips.

"No..."

"C'mon, Grace. I thought you wanted to finish off what we started at the carnival." Mason smirked and moved closer to her.

"It was you. You're the one who attacked Caroline and Stefan." She hushed and Mason stopped in his tracks. "What are you?"

"Grace-"

"What. Are. You?" She cut him off abruptly.

"You already know." He said softly and she nodded slowly.

"Why did you attack my friends?" Grace side stepped the wolf, eager to get away from him.

"I couldn't chain myself up fast enough." Mason replied. "And besides, a werewolf's killer instinct can't be stopped."

"So, you hunt vampires then?" She wondered.

"Not intentionally, but when I turn...I can't control it."

"I'm sorry." Grace whimpered softly. She felt bad for the wolf.

"You seem to know a little too much about our kind while I should be asking you the questions." Mason growled in his chest. "You're not human. I can smell it." Mason growled lowly.

"Mason, please. I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because...I think that people are after me." She was worried that other Guardians were around and watching her every move. If they caught wind of Grace's powers going out of control or that she was craving vampire blood, they'd strip her of her wings and Grace wouldn't allow it. She needed to keep her identity a secret.

"What people?" Mason asked her with a hint of concern in his voice.

"I don't even know. This is...it's just new to me and I don't know what to do." She paced anxiously.

"I can help you." He gently took her upper arm, stopping her.

"I won't let you get hurt trying to protect me." She shook her head.

"Why not?" He asked. Grace was ready to answer when a knock at the door stopped her. She prepared herself to answer, but Mason put his lips on hers again. He pulled her soft body against his rippling one and Grace fought the urge to tell the person at the door to buzz off. His aura was beaming brightly; Mason had such a strong one. It held a lot of inner pain and guilt, but she could also feel compassion and loyalty.

"Whoa..." Damon clicked his teeth and the couple broke apart. He had somehow unlocked the door and was now leaning up against the doorway. Grace fixed a lock of hair behind her ear while Mason straightened out his shirt. "Couldn't wait till you got home, wolf man?"

Mason chuckled and snaked an arm around Grace's waist. "Sorry, buddy. I just can't keep my hands off her." Grace's eyes met Damon's and she immediately wished she hadn't done that. She felt an onslaught of violent, burning jealousy from the vampire and when Damon was angry, it was never a good thing.

"We're playing Pictionary downstairs if you two want to join." Damon plastered on his best charming smile for the wolf.

"Yeah, sure." He nodded. "Grace can be on my team. Prepare to lose, Damon." The vampire started to lead them downstairs and Grace went to follow him, but Mason stopped her.

"I meant what I said before Grace." He said sincerely. "I won't let anyone hurt you." His calmness helped to lick away the flames of Damon's jealousy until they were nothing but snuffed out embers and Grace smiled warmly at him.

"There's a lot that you don't know about me, Mason." She whispered. "I know that you want answers about what I am, but...I'm still unsure."

"That's okay. We can help each other." Mason told her and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth before taking her hand. "C'mon, we've got Pictionary to win."

* * *

><p>"Dress! Ballerina!" Jenna shouted.<p>

"Puppy!" Caroline yelled. "Puppy with a tutu!"

Grace smiled to herself as she was busily getting the table in the other room ready. She was in the kitchen now, taking various items from the fridge, her mind running too quickly for her to play catch-up. She was jittery all throughout the game in the living room and decided to excuse herself in an effort to calm her nerves.

"A dog! Hound-dog!" Aunt Jenna said excitedly.

"Dances with the wolves." Mason's smooth voice silenced the rowdy bunch.

"Mason wins…again." Damon sighed.

"How is that a wolf?" Jenna asked exasperatedly and Grace giggled quietly. Her lips still tingled from Mason's kiss and she was just as confused as ever. Her heart was being pulled in too many directions and she thought it might just snap in two. On the one hand, Mason was trying to help her for some unseen reason, but Damon always seemed to be lurking around every shadowy corner. She had an attraction to both men for completely different reasons. Setting some items down on the kitchen counter, she let out a long sigh.

"You know that I can feel you, right?" Grace muttered and the vampire made a noise of disapproval with his lips.

"Damn, looks like I can't scare you anymore doing that. Maybe when you're making out again with Mason I'll be able to." He smirked vindictively, but Grace didn't answer him. "Hmm, I'm waiting for a snarky comment from the peanut gallery..." A few beats of silence. "No? You're killing me here, feathers."

"Did you know?" She finally asked him and he rose an eyebrow at her.

"You'll have to be more specific than that."

"That if I drink vampire blood I'll get addicted and I'll start acting like a vampire?"

Damon stared back at her and shook his head. "No. Why would I know that?"

"Katherine seemed to know an awful lot about it." She spat.

"Katherine..." The vampire grumbled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, Grace, I didn't know it."

"Are you telling me the truth?" The desperation in her voice came across as sounding weak, but Grace needed to know.

"Yes, I'm telling the truth." He told her honestly and she couldn't find any doubts in him. "Looks like that book had more answers than you wanted."

Grace swallowed thickly, but the nervous lump in her throat was still there. "I just don't know what to do, Damon. I'm scared that I can't control this and that I'll just fall deeper into my own darkness."

"Easy, feathers." He told her softly, stepping closer and she jumped back.

"Stop it! I can hear your blood." Grace covered her ears, but her darker self was egging her on to give in. Damon gripped her roughly, pushing her against the counter and forced her to look up at him. He knew that if she was this jumpy, her wings would come out and he didn't really want to explain to anyone why there was an angel in Jenna's kitchen.

"You have to calm down." His voice was firm and low.

"Just compel me then because I can't do it on my own." Her eyes were beginning to turn black, the lights above them were going in and out. Damon tightened his grip and shook her a little.

"No, I'm not going to compel you because what if I'm not around? You need to learn how to control this yourself." The vampire growled and took her face in his hands. "Remember the other night when you had some of my blood? You were starting to lose it, but what made you stop?"

Grace's fists clenched at her sides and she screwed her eyes shut. Her bottom lip quivered as she tried to push out all dark thoughts out of her mind and she slowly breathed in and out. Damon lightly brushed his thumbs over her cheeks, coaching her to keep fighting. After a few quiet moments, Grace's eyes opened again and they were back to normal. Damon gave a sigh of relief and stepped back from Grace, giving her some space.

"I...I did it." She breathed, a big smile pulling at her lips. Her eyes surveyed the room, nothing was destroyed and Damon was still in one piece. "I was actually able to control myself."

Damon smiled warmly and caught the young Guardian as she flung herself at him. She embraced him tightly and he held her back. He enjoyed how she felt against him. Not only was her body toned and sculpted into the finest human specimen, she had a heavenly energy surrounding her that calmed his soul. Being this close to him didn't bother her now. She wasn't afraid.

"Thank you, Damon." She pulled back.

"What made you stop?" He asked and Grace parted her lips to respond, but Jenna's presence in the kitchen stopped her.

"Food is ready." She announced while giving Damon the mother of all death stares.

"Great." Damon rubbed his stomach and smiled at Jenna. "I'm starving! You coming, fea- Grace?"

"Sure, I'll be right there." The Guardian nodded. Damon and Jenna moved to the dining room, but Grace remained perched at the counter. She took in a moment to really pat herself on the back for taking control of her own body, but Damon's question haunted her.

_"What made you stop?"_

"You." She whispered to herself. She'd thought of Damon the entire time. As dark as he was, Grace knew that there was some good in Damon. His very presence kept her from losing control, but he wasn't even able to know that. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she grabbed a silver cake knife from the drawer and sliced into the pie before bringing it out.

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><p>As soon as Grace made it to the table, Damon swiped the pie from her and placed it on the table, facing the hilt of the cake knife toward Mason. Grace immediately knew the game he was trying to play, however she was worried that the odds would not be in Damon's favor. She sunk down low in her chair next to Jenna and waited to see if the silver myth was really true.<p>

"Mason, why don't you start us off?" He asked and the wolf nodded.

"Sure." Mason reached forward, taking a slice with his hands and not with the knife. Everyone at the table looked at him strangely and he just chuckled, licking some whipped cream from his fingers. "I apologize, I'm an animal."

Clearing his throat, Alaric started digging into his plate of food. "So Mason, you and Jenna never dated?"

Mason shook his head. "She was always lost in Logan Fell land." Grace stiffened hearing that name again. She could still feel the sensitive areas where he had bitten her.

"My first mistake." Aunt Jenna rolled her eyes. "Mason was a catch; he had girls lining up."

Damon raised his eyebrows. "Really? I always pegged you for a lone wolf." Grace shook her head, cursing quietly that this would quickly become a game of quick wits.

"I'm sure I wasn't half the lady killer you were." Mason grinned and Damon returned it. "How about a toast? To new friends." Everyone lifted their glasses, clinking them with one another's.

* * *

><p>Back at the boarding house, Grace was flipping through the contacts in her cell phone before settling on one and calling it.<p>

_"Hello Grace."_ Juliet answered promptly after one ring.

"Hi. I'm sorry. Is it too late to call you?" The Guardian asked.

_"No, of course not."_ She said cheerfully. _"What do you need?"_

"I had this dream..." Grace trailed off. "I wasn't myself. I had black wings, fangs, and I was drinking blood. It just really freaked me out."

Juliet was quiet for a few moments before speaking again. _"How often have you had this dream?"_

"A couple of times." She replied and she could hear Juliet moving around hurriedly.

_"I want you to stop by my house tomorrow. We can talk about it in private."_

Grace felt the Guardian's uneasiness through the phone and she shifted on her bed. "Should I be worried?"

The elder Guardian's eyes ran over a picture she'd found from a book she had lying around the house. It was a photo of a woman with large, black bat-like wings and pale skin. From behind her bloodstained lips, sharps fangs extended from her mouth. Her eyes were black, the whites of them completely covered in darkness and Juliet's eyebrows creased. This was what she had feared when Grace had begun to surround herself with vampires.

_"I'm not sure, Grace."_

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><p><strong>Uh oh! Stay tuned for the next chapters and please review!<strong>

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><p><strong>grapejuice101:<strong> Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, Grace is really having a tough time, but hopefully she can overcome it.

**SomebodyWhoCares:** Thank you for reviewing! You'll have to see what happens with Day ;)

**VampirePrincess11:** Thanks, girl :)

**Lycan Lover 411:** Really?! I didn't know that! I do love Rose though and I can't wait till she comes into this story! The next few chapters will explain about the inner darkness that Guardians are privy to. It will be a tad bit scary. Stay tuned and thanks for reviewing :D

**Arinlianette****: **Thank you for reviewing! There will be more Guardian lessons in the chapters to come and PS - I LOVE the triangle name for Damon/Grace/Mason :)

**Guest:** Here's your update, girl! Hope you enjoyed it :)


	30. Kill Or Be Killed part 1

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 30: Kill Or Be Killed part 1**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVDs. I only own my characters and plot.**

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><p>"A succubus...?" Grace read the word of the paper and wrinkled her nose. Her eyes were glued to a picture of a woman that held very similar traits to what she had looked like in her dreams. "You've got to be kidding me."<p>

Juliet nodded and sipped at her tea. "They are real, Grace."

"This supernatural world just keeps growing, doesn't it?"

"If you only knew how big that world actually is," she sighed.

"So, if I turn into this," the Guardian pointed to the picture. "What happens then?"

"Well, perhaps we should start at the beginning." Juliet stated. "The story starts back when God created the earth. Before Eve was even a thought, God created Lilith to be Adam's wife. Being a man, Adam would try to force Lilith to lie beneath him during sexual intercourse. Lilith refused and left Adam. She became a lover to a demon and produced 100 babies a day."

"Oh, come on!" Grace threw her hands up. "There is no way that any of this is real!"

"Let me finish." The elder Guardian said firmly. "Adam complained and God sent three angels to bring Lilith back to Eden. The angels told her that if she did not return, they would kill her children. Lilith refused and she was punished accordingly while Adam was given Eve."

"What explains the succubus race still surviving then? I thought that the angels killed Lilith's children?" She asked.

"There are ways, Grace. Lilith's children that survived were succubi and incubi. They've been crawling on this earth for generations." She said. "They are the opposites of Guardians."

"Have you ever seen one in person?" Grace asked her and she shook her head.

"No, but there have been accounts of people having encounters with them."

"Like?"

"A succubus has the power to invade dreams, much like a vampire can, but they can also take the souls of the people they feed from." She spoke.

"And how can I stop myself from becoming this?" Grace mused and ran her fingers over the picture.

"You already know the answer, Grace." Juliet's voice was low. "I know that you've been drinking vampire blood."

"But I needed it." The young Guardian fought. "My legs were crushed!"

"That's no excuse. You should have waited for your body to heal."

"You know what; you're just like my mom! I thought that I could trust you and I thought that you'd understand but you don't!"

"Grace—"

"No!" She stood up from her chair and slammed her hands on the table. A fire sparked on the surface where her hands were and Juliet immediately grabbed her mug, throwing tea on it to douse the flames, but they only grew.

"I can't trust anybody." Grace hissed, her eyes clouding over with shades of black and grey. Juliet flew forward, her magnificent wings trapping Grace to the wall and the flames stopped. The young Guardian looked around, utterly clueless as to what had just happened, but the smell of burnt furniture cued her in. Juliet's wings continued to hold Grace until she was sure that she had calmed down and then stepped back. Grace had never seen them, but she was in awe. They were huge, much bigger than hers and each feather was pristinely white. Juliet folded them back, creating more space between them and Grace was able to see the damage she had caused to Juliet's home. The table was burned to a crisp, but the book remained intact. It must have been protected by magic, Grace thought. Even parts of the floor were singed and her eyes welled with tears.

"Grace..." Juliet called gently. "Grace, it's okay. You just lost control."

"I-I did this?" She asked her and the elder nodded. Grace's hands palmed her face and she let out a sob.

Juliet immediately surged forward, trying to wrap her arms around Grace, but she backed away. "Please, Grace, there was no harm done. It's okay."

"No! No, it's...it's not okay!" She cried and quickly felt herself losing it again. Grace ran out of the house, tears streaming down her face and she ignored Juliet's worried calls after her.

Grace ran until she couldn't take it anymore and collapsed in the grass. For a while, she let herself cry before looking up to see that she was near the waterfall she would always visit and that gave her a little more strength to make it there. Stepping carefully along the rocks, she ducked behind the water to sit behind the rushing flow. It was quiet and dark there, a place where she could be alone in her own sorrows. A tickle of feathers brushed her upper arms and she let her wings curl around her, shielding her from everything. She was falling deeper and deeper into darkness and it was becoming a problem. She'd lose control all the time and she'd almost burned down Juliet's home. Tears streaked her cheeks and she caught sight of one pure black feather on the very tip of her wings, nestled between a sea of feathers that were starting to turn black. Angrily, she plucked it out and gritted in pain, hoping to remove this curse. Her eyes judged the feather, but it was only for a moment before it disappeared into a thin black dust and reappeared in the place where she'd plucked it out from. Grace screamed in frustration, the sound echoing throughout the cavern and she broke down into a fit of tears again.

* * *

><p>"Hey, you okay?" Grace peered up to see Mason behind her. She'd volunteered for the historical society picnic and sincerely wished that she stayed in sleeping.<p>

"Yeah, just stressing lately." She sighed and moved to pick up one of heavy boxes from the back of Mason's truck.

"Here, I've got that." He reached over and took the box for her. "A pretty girl like you shouldn't be lugging heavy boxes around."

Grace rolled her eyes and lifted up another box with ease. It was heavy, but her dance and Guardian training made her stronger than the average girl. "I'm a big girl, Mason. I can carry my own things."

The wolf smirked at her and they walked to unload the boxes. "You're cute when you're confident."

"Very." She giggled, but saw Stefan approaching them. She'd heard about Damon stabbing Mason with Jenna's silver cake knife and she could see the wolf tensing as the vampire drew closer.

"Stefan, right? The other Salvatore." He greeted cordially.

"The nice one," Stefan said. "The one offering an apology."

Mason shook his head. "Not interested."

"Look, my brother acted impulsively." He replied.

"You think?" The wolf raised an eyebrow.

"If you and Damon keep at each other throats, somebody innocent is going to get hurt and I don't want that. You have family here so I can imagine you'd want that either. So, what do you say we just quit the whole alpha male fighting thing and call a truce?" Stefan offered and looked to Grace.

"Yeah, come on, Mason." She added. "Damon is Damon, but someone's going to get hurt if this goes on."

"I made that same offer to him. He turned it down with a knife." Mason sneered.

"He made a mistake. I'm here to make sure that neither one of you make another one." Stefan murmured.

"Tell your brother to watch his back." The wolf turned on his heel, but Stefan caught his arm.

"Stefan, don't." Grace begged. She didn't need them starting a fight in public.

"Well, I'm guessing that he only has to worry about that during a full moon." The vampire said and Mason glared at him. "Otherwise you're not as strong, am I right? Or you would have kill Damon by now. There's one of you. There's two of us. I think you're the one that needs to watch his back."

Mason looked down at the hand that was gripping his arm. "If he comes at me…"

"He won't." Stefan assured him and held out his hand, offering the olive branch and Grace sincerely hoped that Mason would take it. The wolf extended his hand, shaking Stefan's firmly before turning to Grace and placing a hand at her lower back to lead her back to his car where the boxes were stored. She gave a worried glance to Stefan over her shoulder but he sent her a calm look.

* * *

><p>"Meow."<p>

A grey and white cat was idly swishing its tail at Grace's feet as she painted one of the walls with a bunch of other volunteers. The feline pawed at the girl's pants leg and she smiled.

"Hi there." She bent down and pet the cat's head, scratching lightly and the animal purred loudly. "Where'd you come from?" Of course the cat didn't answer; it only craned its head up even more so Grace could give it a good scratch.

"Grace!" Elena called and the girl smiled at her cousin, turning away from the cat at her feet.

"Hey." She embraced her. "How are you?"

"I'm okay." The brunette shrugged. "Relationship drama."

"Well, this will cheer you up." Grace turned around to where the cat was just sitting, but it was gone. "Aww, she left."

"Who left?"

"The cat that was just here." She frowned and Elena raised an eyebrow at her.

"What cat?"

Grace looked between the spot and her cousin. "There was a cat here just now. You did see her, right?"

"No," Elena shook her head. "I thought that you were tying your shoes."

Grace's forehead creased and she saw no signs of the cat when she did a full turn around. "That's odd...she was just here a minute ago."

"Are you okay, Grace?" Elena asked worriedly. "You've been really weird and distant lately."

"I'm just stressing with a lot of stuff." She seemed to use that answer for a lot of things lately, but it shut people up quick enough, so why should she stop using that excuse? "What did you mean by relationship drama?"

Elena was blindsided by the sudden change in conversation, but she went along with it anyway. "Stefan loves Katherine."

"I think you have the wrong brother in mind." Grace chuckled. "Katherine is just a blast from the past. He doesn't love her."

"I don't know; I just feel like I'm second best." The girl picked up a paintbrush, painting alongside her cousin.

"Listen, you can't think that way. Stefan loves you so much. Just think of Katherine as a crazy ex-girlfriend. I mean, I wish that I could set Adam and Violet on fire whenever I see them, but I have to be the bigger person."

"You are too wise." Elena smiled warmly.

"Yeah..." She scowled. "I just felt safe with him, you know? He was the only one to help me with all of the Guardian stuff and I trusted him. I guess, you really can't trust anyone."

"I'm sorry, Grace." Elena frowned, rubbing her arm gently.

"I'll be okay, Lena." She said and continued painting when her cousin lightly nudged her shoulder.

"Speak of the devil." Both girls saw Adam and Violet helping by the other volunteers. They were smiling and being disgustingly cite together, making Grace roll her eyes. Violet giggled as Adam dabbed her with a little bit of paint and both girls wanted to vomit.

"Why don't you just make out?" Grace mumbled under her breath. A sudden idea popped into her head and she knew that it was bad, but it would feel so good doing it. Her eyes spied some loose wires on the floor by their feet and she squinted, focusing her powers. In seconds, the wires sparked brightly and Violet let out a shriek as a small fire broke out at her feet. The other volunteers rushed to douse the fire out and Adam held Violet close. Grace hummed, clearly pleased with herself and turned back to her work.

"What happened to being the bigger person?" Elena chided playfully. All in all, Grace was just having a little fun. She never intended to hurt anyone with her little parlor trick, but she certainly wasn't going to mope around. It was the first time she ever felt good about her control and powers in a long time.

"Yeah, well, sometimes being the bigger person sucks."

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><p>After painting and talking with Elena for about an hour, Grace was feeling much more relaxed. Elena always had a way of calming her down and painting was very therapeutic for Grace. She was more concentrated on the graceful brushstrokes and the gliding of the paint on the canvas. She made her way down to the pavilion where tables were being set up and happened to catch the tail end of Damon and Mason's conversation.<p>

"What was that all about?" She asked the vampire as Mason stalked away.

"Just trying to be friendly, feathers." He smirked fully.

Grace rolled her brown eyes and wiped her paint covered hands on a spare rag. "I'm serious, Damon. Mason's not one to be crossed. Just try not to make waves"

Damon shrugged, clicking his teeth. "You're one to talk." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I saw that little trick that you did with Adam."

"Well, he deserved it," she replied.

"I know he did." He agreed. "That was badass." Grace laughed and leaned against one of the tables.

"Would you like some lemonade?" A young girl asked them and Damon nodded.

"Thank you, sweetie." He grinned at the girl who blushed a little and took a cup of the cool liquid. The vampire took a few sips, but immediately spit it out, a burning sensation deep in his throat. He started gagging and Grace jumped up, easing him to sit down.

"What's wrong?" She patted his back and tried to ignore the stares of people around them.

Damon pointed to his throat, groaning in pain. "Vervain. Vervain." He said softly and she took a water bottle from one of the tables, praying that it wasn't laced as well. She opened it and handed it to him.

"What happened?" Stefan rushed over and Grace pointed to the glass of lemonade.

"It burns." Damon guzzled down the water bottle, gargling it and spitting out over the side of the pavilion. He whirled on Stefan and Grace, anger flaring in his eyes. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Stop it!" Grace placed her hands on his chest. "You have to calm down."

Damon fought against her, clenching his fists. "I'm gonna skin him."

"Listen to me!" Stefan jumped in, helping to hold down his erratic brother. "Sit! Sit!"

"I'm not listening anymore of your "give peace a chance" crap. He's dead!" Damon hissed at him.

Stefan held his brother's shoulders, sighing deeply. "Okay. I don't like it. He's making threats. He could expose us. We need to put him down."

Damon looked up at his younger brother, not expecting to hear that kind of a response, but nodded before Stefan had a chance to change his mind. "Alright. Let's do it." Both brothers looked off into the distance to see Mason going into the woods with some black garbage bags.

"Woods. Trash duty. Come on." Damon said, but Grace took his arm.

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am!" She argued. "Like I'm going to leave the two of you alone with him."

"Grace, there's two of us and one of him." Damon said.

"He's right." Stefan added. "And he can't turn unless it's a full moon, so he's basically helpless."

Grace bit her bottom lip, worrying it with her teeth. "If you two aren't back in an hour, I'm coming to find you." Stefan nodded understandingly and both brothers darted off to follow Mason.

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><p>An hour had come and gone and there was still no sign of Damon or Stefan. Mason was still missing and Grace also realized that Sheriff Forbes had disappeared from the festivities as well. Grace couldn't continue to pace, she had to find them and fast. Throwing down her paintbrush, she left the volunteers and sprinted along the path where Damon and Stefan had trailed Mason. She was well into the forest when she felt his presence behind her.<p>

"Where are they?" Grace hissed and Mason stood his ground.

"You just missed them." He smirked. "I'm doing this for your own good, Grace."

"Tell me where they are." She demanded, feeling her wings shifting beneath her skin.

"Or what?" That was enough to unleash her power as her wings slipped through the slits in the back of her shirt. Her hands glowed bright amber and fire licked at her fingertips.

"Don't make me do this, Mason." She told him firmly.

"Well, I'll be damned." The wolf smirked and cracked his knuckles. "I knew that you weren't human, but I certainly didn't think that you were a Guardian."

"Come on, Mason. Let's see how well you do going up against me." She challenged. "I can take you."

"Wanna bet?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I do." Grace shot burning embers from her hands at him. Mason easily dodged them and tackled the Guardian to the ground. They wrestled on the forest floor and Mason's hands curled around her neck.

"You aren't as strong as you think you are, Grace." He growled and her hands groped at his, anxious to get them off her neck. "It's a shame that you're so attached to those vampires. I think the two of us really had something."

"Well, it looks like you're not getting another date." Grace sneered before smashing her forehead against his. The wolf howled, holding his nose and Grace shoved him into a tree. Her arm reared back and she punched him, knocking him unconscious. Grace rubbed her hand, it ached from hitting Mason, but she couldn't tend to it now. She trudged through the thick underbrush when her eyes caught some blood on the plants. They had to be close; she just had to figure out where Mason would take two vampires.

"Grace!" Caroline and Elena rushed over to her. "What the hell happened?"

"Damon and Stefan went after Mason. Now I can't find them." She replied and Caroline took both girls by the arm.

"C'mon, let's get out of here before wolf boy wakes up." The blonde vampire led them to a set of stone steps that led underground. From inside, Caroline could hear her mother talking and she could smell the vervain and blood in the air.

"What is it, Caroline?" Grace asked as she watched the vampire's facial features harden.

"It's my mom. She's killing them." She replied.

"We have to help them." The Guardian sheathed her wings and started to jog down the steps, but Caroline grabbed her roughly. A loud gunshot went off and Grace started to panic.

"No! I can't! She's gonna find out about me!" She hissed, but Grace threw her off, making her way down the stairs. The ruins were dark and she nearly slipped down the stairs but she skidded to a stop seeing not one, but two women poised with guns in their hands. Sheriff Forbes turned, still keeping her gun on the vampires.

"Grace? What are you doing here?"

"I can't let you kill them!" She opened the gate, pushing past the other deputies and the other woman turned as well. Grace was frozen in her spot, her eyes flicking to a groaning and bleeding Damon before looking to the woman again. No...it couldn't be.

"Grace."

"Mom?"

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><p><strong>Uh oh, Mama Clark has some explaining to do! Please review and the next part of this chapter will be out soon!<strong>

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><p><strong>grapejuice101: <strong>Thanks for reviewing! I like the love triangle between Damon/Grace/ Mason too, but after this chapter, I don't think Grace will be too keen on going back to Mason.

**xJenzaFreakx: **Thanks so so much for reviewing, girl! I'm happy you like the idea of Guardians and Grace possibly embracing her inner darkness. This chapter explained what will happen if Grace becomes darker and I have to say, making her a succubus would be really hot ;) Not to mention that Damon would totally dig that! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**SomebodyWhoCares: **Gotta love the touchy feely things with Damon and Mason ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**VampirePrincess11: **Thank you for reviewing as always :)

**21angle****: **Thanks for reviewing! You'll see what will happen to her in the upcoming chapters.

**Graciiee: **Thank you for reviewing, girl! Glad that you enjoyed this chapter! Little does she know, but Grace's dreams will become a reality in the future. Katherine is always fun to write and I do like the idea of Grace and Mason, but Damon would be hotter ;) Hehe, thanks again girl! Talk to you soon!

**Guest: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Amber1986: **Hi there! Very happy that you stumbled upon this story and that you are enjoying it :D

**syahiraai: **Thanks for reviewing! Sorry that Adam and Grace are no longer an item, but he and Violet will against Grace since she is friends with vampires. Perhaps they'll learn to accept her?

**Lycan Lover 411: **Thanks for reviewing as always, girl! Very happy that you liked the dream with Damon and Grace even though it was a little scary. I thought that it was hilarious to have both Damon and Mason staring at Grace's butt while they were right next to each other. And Mason is a great character! I'm upset that he was killed off, but I'm having fun with him before he meets his end. I don't think Grace will ever stop hanging around vampire because they are such a big part in her life.


	31. Kill Or Be Killed part 2

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 31: Kill Or Be Killed part 2**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence - She just updated her Klaus/OC fic called "Smoke in the Air." Give it a read and a review!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVDs. I only own my characters and plot.**

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><p>Diana lowered her gun, but still kept it aimed at Damon. Mother and daughter were staring back at one another in disbelief that the other was there. Grace hadn't seen her mother since the incident where she lost control in the dance studio, but that last meeting assured her that her mother was grateful for Damon being with her daughter when it happened. Diana even apologized for being so cold to the vampire.<p>

"Mom, what the hell are you doing?" The girl asked.

"Go on home, Grace." Diana growled. "This doesn't concern you."

"It does when it involves my friends." She argued and Damon looked to her. He opened his mouth to speak, but a bullet in his right knee made him cry out.

"Mom! Stop it!"

"Don't even look at her, Damon!" Diana threatened as she cocked her gun again.

"Leave them alone!" Grace shrieked loudly. "They weren't hurting anyone!"

"Stop defending them, Grace. It'll only make it worse for you when I put them out of their misery."

"What is wrong with you? I've never seen you like this."

"Diana—" Sheriff Forbes started.

"Leave it be, Liz." The other woman cut her off and a sudden gust of wind closed the metal gate behind Grace. The deputies and Sheriff looked around wildly and Diana wielded her gun.

"Who else is with you?" Liz asked Grace, but she just shook her head as the presence in the room continued to speed around. A deputy grabbed Grace, shoving her away and a flash of blonde curls grabbed onto the deputy, biting into his neck and the other shot at the vampire. Caroline used the man's body as a shield for the bullets and once the gun ran out, she dropped the body it before blurring to the other deputy and killing him as well. Elena ran down, realizing that Caroline had made the courageous choice to expose herself to her own mother and she stood by Grace's side. The blonde vampire stepped closer to her mother, her fangs disappearing and the murderous look in her eyes vanishing. She looked human aside from the ring of blood around her mouth.

"Hi mom," she greeted innocently, but Sheriff Forbes could not get the horrific image of her vampire daughter out of her head.

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><p>Grace's stomach churned as she listened to Damon slurp noisily on the blood of one of the fallen deputies. Elena was tending to Stefan's wounds while Caroline sat anxiously in the corner. Both Liz and Diana were across the ruins, against the wall, awaiting their fates. Damon detached his lips from the open wound and crawled over to Stefan who was looking quite pale.<p>

"You need to drink some deputy blood." He told his younger brother, but he shook his head.

"No. I'm gonna be fine. It's just gonna take a little bit longer." Stefan groaned.

"Damon's right you know. If there's ever time to break your diet…" Caroline chimed in.

"He said he didn't want it, okay?" Elena was quick to step on her suggestion. Damon shakily got to his feet, looking around the room.

"This is a most unfortunate situation. Two deputies dead and you two." He sauntered to Liz and Diana. "What am I gonna do with the both of you?"

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Caroline spoke, but Liz didn't reply. "Mom? Mom? Please. Look, I know that we don't get along and that you hate me, but I'm your daughter and you'll do this for me, right?" Liz still didn't respond, her eyes glued on her feet. "Mom, please. He will kill you."

After a long pause, Liz finally gave her answer. "Then kill me."

"No!" Her daughter growled.

"I can't take this. Kill me now." The Sheriff demanded and Damon leaned down, his face just inches from hers.

"But you were gonna drag it out so painfully." He smirked and looked to Diana who had remained silent and stone faced the entire time. "And what about you, smiley?"

"I'd rather die than keep quiet about your kind." Diana spat and Damon's smirk only grew wider.

"Wise decision." He suddenly caught her, raising her up and pressing her against the ruin wall abruptly. There was an outburst from everyone in the ruins, their cries only fueling Damon's fire.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Grace jumped up, but Caroline was quick to catch her and hold onto her.

"Damon, don't!" Stefan pleaded.

"Damon, please!" His girlfriend begged.

"Relax guys. No one is killing anybody." Damon quirked and loosened his grip on Diana who looked shaken up. He'd never seen Diana show any sort of emotion, but fear was a terrifying one on her. Her eyes were wide, pupils constricted and her body was completely tense. She reminded Damon of a deer in headlights before it makes contact with a speeding car. He gently unhanded her and gestured to the deputies.

"We've got to clean this up."

* * *

><p>Diana twiddled her thumbs nervously as Damon shuffled around the cell, adding little odds and ends to what would be her home for the next few days. Her eyes watched him the entire time, anxious to see if he would try to attack her.<p>

"Don't you know that it's rude to stare?" Damon's voice was laced with a little amusement and he turned back to face her, a bag slung over his shoulder.

"You can kill me without even blinking. Of course I'm on edge and watching your every move." She replied hastily and Damon held his hand out to her.

"Made your phone calls?" He asked and she nodded. The vampire wiggled his fingers and Diana placed her cell phone in the palm of his hand with a huff. "Sorry, but I can't have you calling for any back up."

"I told you, Damon. There is no one else," she said.

"Not even Adam or Violet?"

Diana shook her head. "They are not on the council and I volunteered myself to help Liz as a personal favor. There was no reason to get two kids involved in this."

The vampire sighed and set the bag down, opening it and pulling out some more items. "Look, this place isn't the Ritz, but it's secure." He took out a blanket and placed it on her cot. "Brought you a good thread count and once the vervain is worked out of your systems, I will compel you and Liz, you'll both forget everything and you'll be free women." While he was speaking to her, he heard the very soft steps of Grace making her way down the steps. He felt that she was concealing herself in the hallway, just outside the door so she could listen in.

"Why are you doing this?" Diana asked him suddenly. "You could have just killed me. That's what vampires do. They have no guilt or remorse for the evil that they do, so why are you showing someone who almost killed you mercy?"

Damon was quiet for a few moments as he zipped up the bag. "Because as much as you and your daughter fight, you both love each other. What kind of person would I be if I took Grace's mother away from her?"

"Keep Grace away from me," she said quietly, but Damon's heart turned to stone at every word. He happened to catch Grace's expression from the corner of his eye and it broke his undead heart.

"She's your daughter, Diana."

"Not anymore she's not. I lost her when she started socializing with vampires." She spat, glaring at Damon. "My daughter is gone."

"You have no idea how wrong you are about that." Damon told her before locking Diana in her cell. He checked the locks on both women's cells, he'd rather be safe than sorry, and walked back up the steps. He looked to the corner where Grace was hiding but she was long gone.

* * *

><p>"Listen, Grace, I can take you home if you don't want to stay here." Elena offered while lightly patting the young girl's back. Grace had told her all about her mother's not so kind words and Elena was trying to make her cousin feel wanted.<p>

"I can't go home." She murmured, her eyes fixated on her reflection in the mirror across the room.

"What? Why not?" Soon after leaving the cellar, Grace had a vision that showed Mason waiting around in her house. He looked angry as he paced the floors and his eyes continued to flick to the door. The vision then switched to the curb where a car with no lights on sat and the woman behind the wheel was someone Grace had less than pleasant encounters with.

Katherine.

"Mason and Katherine are waiting for me to come home. My guess is that they're pissed at me for interfering." Grace said numbly.

Elena was shocked to her core. What if Grace hadn't had that vision? What if she went home and they...? "What do they want to do?"

Grace's cold eyes met hers. "You know what they want to do." She made a slashing notion across her neck and Elena swallowed loudly.

"They wouldn't kill you in your own house." She shook her head.

"You don't think so? Katherine also compelled me to gut out my own legs at a wake." Grace hissed and shied away from Elena's gentle touches on her arm.

"Look, it's okay. You can stay here." Elena was trying to make the situation better, but Grace couldn't be bothered.

"Yes, because I want to stay in a house with my mother who hates me." She spat and hopped off her bed. "If you need me, I'll be being a bad daughter and taking a shower."

"Grace!" Elena called after her and she stopped in the edge of the door frame. "You're not a bad daughter. You love your mom and you'd do anything to protect her, but you're also loyal to your friends. She doesn't understand that, but it doesn't make you bad. You two just don't agree." Grace's grip on the door frame tightened with each word, her knuckles turned white and the wood dug under her nails. She didn't answer her and slammed the door behind her, leaving her cousin alone.

* * *

><p>Damon drank down another glass of bourbon as he shuffled into the living room. The fire crackled loudly and Grace was asleep and huddled up on the couch, a half empty bottle of scotch on the floor. He really wished that Grace hadn't heard what her mother had to say, it would drive any kid to drink. Hell, the kind of relationship he had with his own father drove him to drink. Giuseppe Salvatore never understood his oldest son since he was too busy doting on his youngest son. He was always jealous of Stefan for getting all of his father's attention. Damon had always been his mother's son and he loved her very much. When she died, Giuseppe became even more cold and detached than normal, straining their already flawed relationship. Shaking the thoughts of his bastard father from his head, Damon picked up the bottle, examining the damage before peering down at Grace.<p>

"You're gonna be hung-over tomorrow and if you sleep on this couch you'll have a stiff neck. Trust me, I know." He said quietly and bent down to her. "Grace." She let out a groan, fussing a little but she still remained asleep. The vampire scooped her limp body in his arms and carried her upstairs to her room. He could faintly feel her fingers curling around the material of his shirt to hold onto him. Her head folded inwards, resting against his chest and Damon found himself not wanting to put her down. With skill, he managed to pull the covers back on her bed and slide her under them. The vampire tucked her in, taking a few lingering stares at her sleeping form and wished that he could take some of her pain away. Damon turned to leave and was just across the room when the tiniest whisper called out to him.

"Damon." He turned to see Grace barely awake and took some steps closer to her. "What you did for my mom today. That's the Damon that's my friend. So, thank you." She said sleepily and let out a yawn. Even though her mother was being a complete bitch, she did have a point about Damon killing her. It took a lot of restraint, but he wouldn't be cruel take away her mother. He knew all about cruelty taking his mother away from him.

The vampire smiled just slightly, his blue eyes meeting Grace's tired ones. "No problem, feathers." The Guardian's eyes fell closed and her breathing evened out, signaling that she was falling asleep and Damon took his leave. As he closed the door behind her, Grace slipped into a deep sleep, but she didn't notice that there was something else in the room with her. It hid in the shadows, its dark eyes remaining glued on the sleeping Guardian.

* * *

><p>Violet bolted out of her bed hearing something knock against her window. She threw the covers off her body and unwrapped her wings from her back. She grimaced at the size of them, they hardly looked threatening. When they were stretched out, they only came out to about her elbow and she hated that they were small, even though she had them for a few months, but Adam assured her that they were grow in time. The blonde looked around the room and her hands glowed dimly.<p>

"Hello?" She whispered and a flash went across the room, catching her by the shoulders.

"Boo!" Violet screamed, but Adam was quick to shush her and calm her down. "Hey, Vi. It's just me." He said cooly and the blonde Guardian punched his shoulder. "Ow!"

"You jackass! Don't do that!" She hit him again, much harder and he winced.

"Jeez, I was just trying to have a little fun." He said with a smile.

"How can you have fun when we have _him_ constantly on our backs about the moonstone?" She huffed and Adam's lips curved into a smirk. "You...you got it?"

"Yep."

"But how? Mason and Katherine have it." She said.

"Not anymore." Adam reached into his pocket, fishing out the stone and handing it to Violet.

_Adam held the moonstone in his__hand__and concentrated on his powers. He'd sent Violet to talk with Tyler and distract him long enough to get his hands on the stone. A green glow emitted from his clasped hands and he opened his eyes. The glow dimmed down and Adam parted his hands, revealing two moonstones. They looked exactly the same, but he could tell the difference between the stones. One gave off a strong aura while the other just felt like a heavy rock in his hand. He smiled, pocketing the real one and leaving the decoy on the table._

Violet passed the smooth stone in her hands, her fingers running over the surface. She felt the powerful aura surging through her body and she looked to Adam again.

"You continue to surprise me." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

"We're back in the game." He said with a smirk and tossed her on the bed, his lips going to her neck.

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><p><strong>So, Adam and Violet have the <em>real<em> moonstone while Mason has the fake one! Mama Clark hates her daughter and Grace is constantly being bothered by her new cat friend. Grace and Damon are slowly beginning to trust one another and their relationship is beginning to grow. Please review and the next chapter will be out soon :)**

****I was surfing through fanfiction and found some _really, really_ hot fics written by The Nutty One. Go read her stuff, it is HOT HOT HOT!****

****And, even though I am a day late, it is Graciie's birthday on fanfiction, so please go read her story (which is AMAZING!) and wish her a happy birthday!****

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><p><strong>Vampire Princess 11:<strong> Yes, ma'am! Mama Clark has been caught and Grace certainly will not react well to it! Thanks for reviewing and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!

**SomebodyWhoCares:** Thanks for reviewing! Well, Grace's mother is not a Guardian anymore since she had her powers taken away, but Guardian blood still runs through her veins. That will prove to be very important in the chapters to come. Stay tuned!

**21angle:** HAHA! Grace's mom is a bitch and sometimes I have such a hard time writing her, but her strained relationship with her daughter gives this story a little more of an edge. Will Grace and her mother ever reconcile? Who knows. Thank you for your review :)

**Lycan Lover 411:** Thanks for reviewing! Grace and that cat will be explained in chapters to come. It is weird, but it'll all make sense soon. I liked when Grace lit up the wires too. She's spunky and funny too :) Mason tried to attack Grace, so she certainly won't be going easy on him anymore. Yeah, she could turn into a succubus and I think Grace would be a hot one. I'm sure Damon wouldn't mind it ;)

**Amber1986: **Thanks for reviewing, girl! Glad that you enjoyed the cliffhanger and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

**vilgyt888: **I liked Grace with Mason too, but I agree with you that Grace would be hotter with Damon ;) You're cruel, but I am too by what will happen between Mason and Grace in the following chapter. Thank for reviewing!

**Lena: **Thank you for reviewing :) I'm happy you liked the dream and it is a reflection of what Grace will be like in the future when and if she does turn into a succubus. I think Grace seeking help from Violet would be very interesting considering she _hates_ her. Perhaps they could find some common ground, but I think Grace might be too proud to stoop to Violet's level. I really do like your ideas! They are very creative :) I am so glad that you like my writing and I hope that you enjoy this update :)


	32. Plan B

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 32: Plan B**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVDs. I only own my characters and my plot.**

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><p>The following morning, Grace awoke surprisingly refreshed despite the nightmarish events of the day before. Getting out of bed, she stretched her muscles and noted that she hadn't been dancing for the past few weeks and that she should really get some time in at the studio. The brunette meandered into the shower, humming a random pop song with a catchy beat as she showered and emerged feeling even more cheery. Wrapped in a towel she moved to her closet to take out clothes for the day and was skimming through the hangers when...<p>

"Meow."

Grace whipped around, her brown eyes wide seeing the cat from yesterday sitting on her bed. Its tail swished back and forth and its hazel eyes were glued on her. How the hell did that cat get inside? Did it follow her home and she didn't even realize it? Stepping closer to the bed, still clutching her towel, Grace stared down at the animal who seemed perfectly fine with the fact that she was trespassing in a house of vampires.

"What the..." She trailed off, keeping her eyes trained on the animal. Thinking quickly, Grace picked up the mewling cat and brought it downstairs, hoping that Damon or Stefan wouldn't catch her. She opened up the door to the boarding house and set it outside on its feet.

"Go on now. Go home." She shooed the cat and closed the door. The young Guardian traipsed up the steps again to get ready for helping out with the fundraiser and nearly screamed when she saw the cat sitting on her bed again. How did it get back in the house? She put it outside, she was sure of it.

"No," she shook her head and walked over to the bed, wagging a finger at the feline. "You can't stay here. Damon's going to eat you."

"Meow." The cat replied and Grace picked her up again, looking for a collar around her neck, but found none. The Guardian put the cat back down on her bed and dialed Juliet, grimacing when it went to voicemail.

"Hi, this is Grace. I think one of your cats followed me home. It's white and grey and won't leave me alone." She ended the message, saying something along the lines of dropping off the cat, but for now, Grace was stuck in a staring contest with a feline.

"Dammit, what the hell am I going to do with you?" She asked aloud and the cat watched her pace. "I've never had a pet before." The animal lay down on the bed, stretching out and making herself comfortable.

"Look, you're cute and all, but when I was seven I couldn't even keep my goldfish alive." The fish was appropriately named Goldie that she got as a party favor for one of her friend's birthdays in the second grade. Goldie didn't even last a couple of days. The cat seemed unfazed and uncaring about anything, so Grace sighed and went back to her closet to get dressed. There, she spied a laundry basket and she cursed herself for what she was going to do.

It took her a few minutes, but she'd made a makeshift bed for the cat until she could figure out what she'd be doing with it. It was placed behind her closet so no one could see it upon entering her room. Placing her down amongst the blankets folded over in the basket, Grace watched the cat make herself at home in her new bed.

"I hope you like it, but listen, since you're living here for...I don't know how long, we need some rules." She bent down to the basket and the cat peered up at her as if listening intently. "When I'm not home, you have to stay up here." Its tail moved through the air and she gave a mewl of approval.

"Okay...now you be a good kitty and don't blame me if you get eaten by a vampire." The cat just turned, snuggling herself into the bed and Grace took it as a sign that she understood her. She didn't have time to worry about a cat now since she had to be at the Lockwoods' in fifteen minutes to help decorate for the charity event that was to be held there.

She jogged down the steps, but the door to the basement cellar caught her eye. Grace really should have checked in on her mother, but she was still so angry and hurt that she just decided against it. The Guardian heard three voices in the living room and she walked in to see Damon, Jeremy, and Alaric having a pow wow.

"Wow, is this a meeting of the boy scouts?" She joked and meandered up to them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Helping Damon. I'm the one who found out about the moonstone." Jeremy admitted proudly as if he deserved a cookie.

"Does Elena know you're here?" Grace asked and Jeremy shook his head.

"Not exactly."

"I didn't see anything." She sighed looked at the box in his hands.

"What you got?" Damon snatched it from the teen and proceeded to dig through its contents.

"This is Isobel research from Duke. Her assistant sent it to me." Alaric held up a book and Damon gave a low whistle.

"Mmm, Vanessa. The psycho." He thumbed through the book, but Alaric was quick to take it back from him.

"Vanessa, yes. Now, do you remember the old Aztec curse she told us about?" He asked.

"Sun and the moon, blah blah blah blah blah." Damon droned and Jeremy was now standing beside them.

"An Aztec curse? Cool," he beamed.

"Yeah, supposedly vampires and werewolves used to roam freely until a shaman put a curse on them to limit their power. Since then, werewolves can only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun." Alaric explained.

Damon held up his hand and wiggled his fingers, showing off his daylight ring. "Most of them, anyway."

"According to the legend, the werewolf part of the curse is sealed with the moonstone." Alaric then pulled out a map of drawn pictures, showing the story of the Sun and Moon curse.

Grace took up the drawings, her eyes running over the intricate details. "What do you mean sealed?"

"It's a witch thing, whatever seals the curse is usually the key to unsealing the curse." The vampire answered for her.

"Maybe Mason Lockwood believes he can use the moonstone to break the curse." Alaric suggested.

"If we start believing in some supernatural witchy-woo legend from a picture book, we're idiots." Damon deadpanned.

"Who has the stone now?" Ric raised an eyebrow.

"Tyler," Jeremy answered.

"Can you get it?" Damon asked.

"Yeah."

"See, now your life has purpose." The vampire smirked.

"So, you do believe it?" The teen asked.

"It's the same book that says a werewolf bite kills a vampire. Ignoring it would make me an even bigger idiot. Let's go." Damon rose from the couch and looked to Grace. "You coming, feathers?"

* * *

><p>"Hey Grace." Her body stiffened hearing Mason's voice, but she continued her work. It wasn't until he was beside her did she shy away from him.<p>

"Do you mind? I'm trying to work here," she said and his hand on her wrist made her stop again, but it was because she was getting a vision.

_It was a room, a bedroom to be exact and she saw two people in the bed. Mason was toying with a lock of hair that belonged to the woman with him._

_"And what about Grace?" Katherine asked curiously as she sat up in bed, clad in a black lace bra._

_"What about her?" Mason quirked an eyebrow._

_"Well, you two are getting awfully close." The vampire pouted and the werewolf let out an amused chuckle._

_"Don't tell me you're getting jealous." He tapped the tip of her nose playfully and she pouted even more._

_"I'm jealous that she's getting all of your attention." Her fingers trailed over his defined chest._

_"C'mon, Kat. I need her to help break the curse." Mason told her. "You know that I love you."_

_"And I love you." Katherine pulled the werewolf close, pressing a kiss to his lips._

Grace immediately backed away from Mason, smacking his hand away and she glared at him. "Leave me alone, Mason." That was the second time she was second best to another woman. The first was with Adam and Violet and it looked like history had repeated itself with Mason and Katherine.

"Just hear me out." The wolf begged, but Grace didn't want to hear another word from him.

"Don't talk to me." Grace growled and pushed past Mason.

"Look, Grace. I'm sorry for what happened yesterday." He said, following her around. "Can we just talk about it?"

"I don't have anything to say to you." She turned on her heel to leave, but she stopped in her tracks. "Actually, I do." The Guardian sauntered back to him and with impressive force, she punched him hard. "That's for trying to hurt my friends." She struck him again, even harder and he actually staggered back. "And that's for dragging me along and making me feel something for you."

Mason stared back at her with a look of confusion. How had she known about him and Katherine? "Grace, wait!" He tried to grab at her as she walked away, but Damon blocked him.

"Get back, wolfie." The vampire narrowed his eyes at Mason.

"Damon, don't." Grace stood beside him, but Damon nudged her behind him.

"We were just talking, Damon." Mason said.

"I wasn't asking." He hissed menacingly. "You and I both know that she can kick your ass, but I can and will kill you right here."

"You wouldn't." Mason challenged and Damon stepped forward, closing the space between them.

"Oh, I would." Damon sized up the wolf, but a gentle tug on his sleeve from Grace made all murderous thoughts leave him.

"C'mon, Damon. Just leave him. He's not worth it." Her voice was pleading for him not to start anything and she wished that he would listen.

"Run along, Mason." He nodded his head towards the distance and the wolf gnashed his teeth, sincerely wishing that it was a full moon so that he could rip Damon to shreds. After a few more silent moments, Mason stalked off and Grace pulled Damon the other way.

"You know that he's the reason you and Stefan almost died yesterday, right?"

"Yeah and he's lucky I didn't want to get blood on my shirt." Damon grumbled and looked down to Grace. "Did he hurt you?" It was a loaded question. Physically he didn't, but emotionally, Grace was ruined.

"He's sleeping with Katherine." Her voice was small and meek.

* * *

><p>"Katherine's with Mason Lockwood." Damon stated as he and Stefan paced around.<p>

"We missed it. He got into town right after she did. It makes perfect sense." Stefan said factually.

"I know, but Mason Lockwood?!" He exclaimed and Stefan shrugged. "Werewolf thing aside, the guy is a surfer. She's got to be using him. She has to be."

"Using him for what?" Stefan asked.

"Mason Lockwood's looking for a moonstone that allegedly can break the full moon werewolf curse. Maybe Katherine wants it as well." Damon told him.

"Why?" His younger brother questioned.

"Well…no idea." Damon deadpanned. "What else did you see in your vision, Grace?"

The entire time, the Guardian had been completely silent, but her eyes met Damon's. "Just that...wait, he said that he needed a Guardian to help break the curse. So, that's why he needed me." Both brothers exchanged a glance.

"So, how are we gonna find this moonstone?" Stefan asked.

"Jeremy is getting it from Tyler." Damon replied simply.

"Why would you involve Jeremy? The green eyed vampire walked past his brother, smacking his shoulder and Damon scoffed.

"He's playing Indiana Jones. He involved himself." Grace gigged at that and Damon gave her a little smirk. "You okay?"

The Guardian shrugged unsurely. "I wish I knew sooner that I was just a piece of ass to him. I've never felt so stupid."

"You're not stupid, Grace." He said softly.

"I guess that's what I get for trying to trust people." She shuffled her feet and started to go back to work when she saw the cat from this morning off in the distance. It was sitting on the ground and the people around it didn't seem to even notice it.

"Grace?" Damon's call brought her back to reality, but his eyes followed hers. He didn't see anything, only a couple of kids working and lugging boxes around. His cell phone rang in his pocket and he grimaced seeing that it was Jeremy calling. He answered the phone while Grace watched as the cat turned and walked away slowly. Maybe she was meant to follow it.

"I'll be right back, okay?" She side stepped him and he watched her run off.

* * *

><p>The Guardian dodged workers and volunteers alike as she tried to keep hot on the cat's trail. She was really starting to get freaked out that this random cat was now following her, but she squished her fears. Now wasn't the time to be afraid, she had to be strong. She reached a part of the Lockwood grounds where people were sorting masks and unloading boxes and Grace spied the cat over by some tables. She marched over to them, but stopped dead in her tracks seeing Adam and Violet there. She looked to the cat who was staring at her and she shook her head. Grace turned on her heel, not wanting to talk with the two Guardians, but halted seeing the cat sitting at her feet.<p>

"No," she scooped up the animal, holding it tightly. "I'm taking you home." The cat wriggled around in her grip and swatted at her shoulder, nicking her skin with its claws.

"Ow!" The cat jumped from her arms and Grace was propelled backwards as images danced behind her eyes.

_She saw two stones, both exact in shape, size and color. A hand reached forward and took one stone, leaving the other alone, but another hand gripped the remaining stone._

Grace came back to herself and shook the visions out of her head. Two moonstones? How could that be? The cat had disappeared and Adam and Violet were gone too. She picked up her ringing cell phone and was greeted by a frantic Bonnie.

"Bon, relax. Just breathe and tell me what's going on."

_"Damon has Mason. They're at the boarding house."_

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><p>Grace walked through the front door and was met with Damon's hard stare. He was bent over a chair, his hand on the high frame of it and he gave a glance down to the man sitting in it.<p>

"Your friend's here." He said.

"What are you doing, Damon?" Grace walked up to meet them and her eyes were wide seeing Mason chained to a chair with holes skewered into his body.

"Getting answers." Damon smirked and stabbed Mason with a scalding hot fire poker. The wolf lurched in his chair and he let out the most horrifying scream. "Grab a poker."

"There are other ways to do this." She grimaced as Damon yanked out the poker.

"Catch me on a day when I care." He placed the poker back in the fire place and watched it heat up, the tip turning red.

"But-" she was stopped by Jeremy coming into the room with a box in his hands.

"I thought I told you to leave." The vampire growled.

"I found something in Ric's box of stuff." He replied and that seemed to draw Damon's attention.

"Ooh. What is it?" Jeremy took out a frail, wilted looking plant, twirling it in his fingers.

"I did a search on my phone. It's a plant. Aconitum Vulparia. It grows in the mountainous areas of the northern hemisphere. Commonly known as aconite, blue rocket, and wolfsbane." The teen recited and Damon took the plant in his hands, examining it for himself.

"What else did you read?" The vampire asked him.

"Well, every source says something different. One myth says it causes lycanthropy, which sounds bogus. Another one says that it protects people and another one says, well, it's toxic." He said and Damon looked over at Mason who was squirming and groaning.

"I'm guessing toxic." Damon concluded.

"Grace," Mason breathed weakly. "Help me please." The Guardian looked on sadly, but the vampire was quick to nudge her aside.

"Don't fall for it." He grumbled and dangled the plant over Mason. "What's Katherine doing in Mystic Falls?"

Mason didn't answer him, so Damon brushed the tips of the plant against the wolf's cheek. Just like how vervain burns vampires, Mason's skin began to sizzle. He screamed and writhed, yanking at his chains and turning his head away from Damon. Jeremy and Grace shifted awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with Damon's torture methods and the vampire pulled the wolfsbane away.

"Why is she here?" Damon asked again.

"She's here with me. Why do you ask, you jealous?" Mason hissed and Damon's face grew even harsher.

"How rude of me." He scoffed. "You know, I just realized, I didn't offer you anything to eat." Damon shoved the plant in Mason's mouth and held his jaw closed, ensuring that he wouldn't spit it up. Mason grunted, kicking at Damon, but the vampire didn't let up until he wanted to.

"Yummy!" Damon grinned and let go of Mason who immediately spit up the wolfsbane. Blood, saliva, and leaves of the plant flew across the room and Grace had to turn herself away from him.

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><p>Damon's torture continued to go on and Grace wasn't sure how much more she could take. Mason's screams shook her to her core, sending shivers down her spine and she placed a hand on Damon's shoulder.<p>

"Please, Damon." She begged.

"Why do you want the moonstone?" He asked the wolf, completely ignoring the Guardian.

"Screw you!" Mason screamed.

Damon made the sound of a buzzer from a game show. "Wrong answer!"

"If he was gonna say anything, he would have already!" Jeremy protested and Damon moved closer to Mason.

"I'm taking your eyes now." He growled and readied the wolfsbane to gouge out Mason's eyes.

"The well!" Mason shouted. "You can find it there."

"I know where it is. I want to know what it does and why you want it." He still held the wolfsbane close to him.

"I'm getting it for Katherine." Mason admitted.

"Why?" Damon questioned.

"She's gonna use it to lift the curse." He told him.

"Of the moon? Now, why would a vampire help a werewolf break a curse that keeps them from turning whenever they want?" The vampire raised an eyebrow.

Mason swallowed thickly, his eyes on Grace. "So I wouldn't have to turn anymore."

"Why?"

"Because she loves me." Grace's heart clenched and Damon's shoulders tensed. He glared at Mason before erupting into a fit of laughter.

"Now - now I get it. You're just stupid." The vampire insulted him. "Katherine doesn't love you. She's using you, you moron."

"I'm done talking." Mason shook his head.

Damon closed in on him. "Yes, you are." He handed Jeremy the wolfsbane. "It's time to take a walk, Jeremy. You too, Grace."

"I'm staying." The teen said.

"I'm not leaving." Grace fought.

"No, you should go." Damon growled.

"I'm staying, Damon. He's had enough." Jeremy said.

"Just help Tyler. Don't let this happen to him." Mason pleaded desperately.

"Damon..." Grace trailed off and suddenly, Damon sped at Jeremy. He grabbed him by his neck, holding him tightly.

"You wanted to be a part of this? Well, here it is! Kill or be killed! The guy is a werewolf; he'd kill me the first chance he got! So, you suck it up or leave." He hissed and shoved Jeremy away from him. "He wants me to kill him, anyway. Don't you, Mason? It really is a curse, isn't it?" He grinned at the wolf while Jeremy bolted from the house.

"No..." Grace whimpered as Damon walked closer to Mason.

"You know, I look at you I see myself. A less dashing, less intelligent version." Damon smirked.

"I love her." The wolf proclaimed.

"Meanwhile you're two timing with another girl." He leaned down close to him.

"I needed Grace for the curse." Mason said weakly. That piqued Damon's interest and he waited for him to continue. "A Guardian has to be sacrificed. Their blood helped to seal the curse on both ends."

Grace was stunned, she wasn't even sure if she was hearing it all correctly, but the very fact that both Mason, a man that she cared for, and Katherine, a psycho vampire, were planning to use her as a sacrifice.

"So, you used me? This whole time...you were just playing me for a fool." Grace spoke slowly as her anger was rising. Her blood was practically boiling over and her wings twitched behind her back.

"Yes." Mason looked her straight in the eye and didn't falter.

"You know, I actually liked you. You made me feel like I could trust people again." Damon saw out of the corner of his eye that her wings were turning black.

"Feathers..." She was close to losing her control, but it feared Damon that she was completely calm. Damon's body flew back, an invisible force pinning him to the wall beside the fire place and Grace took her spot before Mason.

"Grace, I'm sorry." Mason was trying to talk some sense into her, but she was long gone. Her eyes had turned black and her nails lengthened into sharp points.

"Too little too late, Mason." She purred sweetly and grabbed him by his throat. Her grip was so tight that her nails punctured the skin and Mason was finding it hard to breathe. All the while, Damon was struggling at the wall, calling and pleading with Grace to stop before she did something she'd regret, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Grace's wings opened, the feathers flaring out and Mason looked up at her in fear. Her eyes locked with his and he found that he couldn't draw himself away from her. Air rushed around the room, blowing loose papers around and Grace peered right into Mason's soul. An evil smirk graced her lips as she watched the life leave his warm eyes. It didn't take long, but witnessing him die right in front of her was the most satisfying form of revenge that she could get.

Moments later, the wolf let out a strained groan and his head fell forward. Grace no longer felt his pulse beneath her fingers, so she retracted her hand. Damon was let go from the wall and the winds stopped. The room was quiet and Grace's body returned to its human form. Her eyes were normal again and her claws had been sheathed as if they were never there. Grace turned to face the vampire who was staying as far away from her as possible and uttered very calmly,

"He's dead."

* * *

><p>Damon had done most of the cleaning up while Grace was searching Mason's person for anything of worth. It had occurred to her that she had killed him, but it didn't completely register that his blood was on her hands. The way she saw it, if Mason and Katherine's plan had worked, she'd be the one who died, so it was better Mason than her. Damon hadn't said a word to her, no questions, no smart remarks, nothing. Instead, he watched her very carefully, waiting for some kind of mental breakdown or a repeat of what had happened before, but he found none of those things. The vampire rolled up Mason's body in a blanket as Stefan walked into the room.<p>

"All this for that?" Damon's remark made her look up to see Stefan holding the exact same stone from in her vision.

"Yep." Stefan sighed and tossed the stone to his brother. He looked around the room and sighed again. "I see you've exercised your usual restraint."

"Had to be done." He snatched Mason's cell phone up and started to text away. "Although I can't take all of the credit. Grace did lend a hand."

Stefan's wary green eyes met Grace's cold ones, waiting for an explanation. "A Guardian is needed to help lift the Curse of the Moon. AKA, I had to be dead."

"Good. Carol is notified." Damon sent the text before tossing it to Grace. "Get rid of this, will you?" The Guardian scrolled through the phone just out of curiosity and was looking through his call log.

"Let's get rid of the body." Stefan said and Grace hit the call button. "What are you doing?"

"Dialing the last number he called." She replied simply and listened to the phone ring.

"No, no, no! Don't provoke her!" The younger Salvatore reached for the phone, but Damon stopped him.

"C'mon, she's just having a little fun. We've got the moonstone, so let us gloat a little." He said.

_"Mason, you should have been here an hour ago."_ Katherine tsked.

"Try again, Kat."

_"Grace."_ She jeered. _"For once you've surprised me. I assume Mason is with you?"_

"He's right beside me. Although, he won't be talking too much." The Guardian smirked.

_"You shouldn't have."_ Katherine growled after a few beats of silence.

"I found out about your little plan, Katherine. The jig is up. I know that you only needed me to unseal the curse. Mason spilled everything to me and the sick part about it was...he really did love you." She explained and the two brothers listened intently. "I guess you'll need another Guardian to lock in a cage."

_"You have no idea what you've just done."_ The vampire glowered.

"If it involves derailing your plan, then I'm not sorry. Looks like you'll have to go back to the drawing board."

Katherine gave a lighthearted chuckle. _"Do you honestly believe that I don't have a plan B? And if that fails, a plan C, then a plan D, and…you know how the alphabet works, don't you? Send my love to Stefan."_ She hung up and Grace glanced over to the brothers who looked as defeated as ever.

* * *

><p>"You killed that boy, didn't you?" Diana murmured as Grace entered her cell with an empty tray.<p>

"You didn't eat much." Her daughter replied, completely ignoring the question at hand and piled the dishes of food she'd made her mother for dinner.

"Don't act like I'm not here." The woman growled.

"Why not? You did say that your daughter was gone." Grace grumbled. "So, I'll just pretend like I never existed."

"Grace, I joined the council to protect you." She stated.

"Protect me? In case you haven't noticed, mom, I can protect myself. I'm a Guardian and you're a human." The girl whipped around, tray in hand and made her way to the door.

"If you keep hanging around vampires you won't anymore." That stopped Grace in the doorway. "I know what has been happening to you. Ever since that time in the dance studio, I knew that it was too late and that it had already started. I wanted to help you and the only way I could was to join the council."

The Guardian turned over her shoulder, staring back at the woman she called her mother and felt like she was looking into the eyes of a stranger. "You can't stop me from being friends with Stefan and Damon. Caroline too, I used to babysit her."

"You'll drive yourself to drown in your own darkness, Grace. Those creatures are not your friends." Diana hissed.

"Shut up!" Grace screamed, the tray dropping and Diana was shot back into the wall. "Just don't talk anymore! I hate you!"

Her mother was cowering in fear. "Grace! You'll end up killing yourself. What you did to Mason will-"

"Leave me alone!" The Guardian stepped outside the door, shutting it with her powers and locking the door. She jogged up the steps, shut the main door to the basement and fixed herself a drink in the parlor where Damon was sitting.

"Grace—"

"I hate her! I hate her so much!" She seethed and picked up her glass, chucking it into the fire place. Damon lept up, taking her by the shoulders and gently shaking her.

"Easy, just relax." He told her. "There's no need for you to tear the house down."

Grace swatted his hands away from her. "I want her out of this house and out of my life."

"Give it another day or two for the vervain to leave her system. Then I'll compel her and things will go back to normal."

"No! I mean, I want her out of my _life_." She stressed and the vampire stared down at her.

"Grace, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that when you compel my mother to forget, I also want you to tell her to leave." Damon opened his mouth to protest, but Grace kept talking. "Tell her to leave Mystic Falls and forget about her disappointment of a daughter." She pushed past him and sprinted to her room, not in the mood to deal with anyone else. Damon watched after her, wishing that there was something he could do to make her understand that people did care about her. Grace was so caught up in the drama with her mother and that Mason was using her that she didn't realize that there were people who loved her.

People like Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy and Stefan.

People like him.

* * *

><p><strong>Hi all! Poor Grace and Damon :( The both of them are so misunderstood, however they understand one another more than they think. So, Grace killed Mason and she's not sure as to how she managed to kill him. Grace's little cat friend is pretty cute, isn't it? By the way, I have no idea whether to make it a boy or girl and I'd need a name for it. Any ideas? Grace wants to have Damon compel her mom to leave Mystic Falls! Hmm, what do you think? Will Damon do it? Please leave a review - they mean the world to me!<strong>

****AN: I am leaving for Disneyworld tomorrow morning, so I'll be updating when I come home! Feel free to follow my pictures and updates :)****

**grapejuice101: **Thanks for reviewing! I still feel bad for Grace too :( She will have her moment in the sun, don't worry :)

**VampirePrincess11: **Thanks girl! I work very hard to make everyone happy :)

**Amber1986: **Thank you for reviewing! I love that the relationship between Damon and Grace is moving forward too! Well, the first part did explain that it was the cat that was watching Grace sleep at night. He or she (I haven't decided what it will be yet, LOL!) will hang around Grace. And it will need a name too.

**SomebodyWhoCares: **Thanks for reviewing! Hmm, a nickname for Damon? I think Damon would personally hate nicknames for himself, but he does like creating nicknames for others.

**Guest: **Thank you for posting a review! Hehe, I have plans for Adam and Violet! Maybe not death right away, but I have plans for them ;)

**Graciie: **Ah! I'm so, so glad that you enjoyed this chapter! I hope you had an amazing birthday :D Grace's mom is a complete bitch and I do with that she and Grace would reconcile their differences. Eep! Adam and Violet have the real moonstone, but they won't for long. Damon and Grace are really cute together and I don't want to rush them finally being together, but I also was smiling like a moron when I wrote the scene with Damon carrying Grace up to bed :) I'm having a great summer! I'm packing for Disney since I'm leaving tomorrow! I'll be posting pictures on tumblr and such :) Talk to you soon, girl!

**belladu57: **Thank you for reviewing!

**damonsgirl98: **Thanks for reviewing! As for my other stories, a chapter of "A Drop in the Ocean" is at my beta and I will probably upload it after I get home from vacation. A chapter of "Love Like This" is almost done and will be uploaded soon too. Thank you so much for being patient with me :)


	33. Masquerade

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 33: Masquerade**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's. I only own my characters and plot.**

* * *

><p>Elena Gilbert helped to ease her Aunt Jenna onto the couch before jogging to the foyer to answer the front door. After Mason was killed, Katherine had struck yet again. This time, she had called the house and compelled Aunt Jenna to stab herself. Thankfully, it wasn't a fatal wound, but it was enough to send Elena into a tailspin. Stefan had told her the reason why Katherine had gone off the rails and Elena could barely wrap her head around the fact that Grace was the one to provoke the vampire. Now, her relationship with Stefan was in the toilet and she didn't want to hear from or see her cousin.<p>

After Jenna waved Elena away, telling her that she was coddling her too much, Elena went to the foyer since she had head the doorbell ring twice. She opened the door and frowned seeing Grace standing meekly on her front porch.

"Hi," the Guardian greeted meekly and Elena put her hand on her hip.

"I don't want to talk to you, Grace." Elena moved to close the door, but the Guardian propped her foot against the door.

"Please, Elena. You don't have to talk, but just please listen to what I have to say." Grace pleaded and the teen ground her teeth in her mouth before begrudgingly stepping aside. Elena gestured for them to go upstairs when Grace caught sight of Jenna who was sitting on the couch.

"Oh, hey, Grace!" She beamed brightly and the Guardian's heart dropped further into her stomach.

"Hey, I heard about your little accident there." Grace said as she met Aunt Jenna by the couch. "How are you feeling?"

"You're just a worry wart like the rest of them." Jenna smiled, laughing a little, but she winched in pain. "Ah, ouch. I'm more embarrassed than anything."

"Can I get you anything?" She asked.

Aunt Jenna waved a hand around gently. "No, no. That's what Jeremy is for, right?" The Guardian grinned at her and Jenna yelled out the teen's name loudly. Grace took her leave, going up to Elena's room and saw her sitting on the edge of her bed. They were in silence for a while before Grace spoke.

"She's in great spirits. Plus she'll have a nice time having Jeremy as her personal slave." She joked, trying to make light of the situation, but Elena remained stone faced. "Look, Lena, I'm sorry."

"Why did you provoke Katherine?" She asked outwardly. "You know that she doesn't mess around."

"I know, but-"

"I expected something like that from Damon, but not you, Grace." Elena growled.

"I was angry."

"Well, I'm angry now!" She countered, a glare in her eyes.

"Do you actually know what's happening to me?" Grace asked outwardly. "Last night, I killed Mason and I don't know how or why!"

Elena stood in her spot, practically rooted to the ground. "Y-you...you killed Mason."

Grace nodded gravely. "I found out that he was sleeping with Katherine and playing me only so he could use me in the sacrifice."

"The sacrifice?"

"Guardian blood helped to seal the curse of the Sun and of the Moon. So, he needed a Guardian to unseal the curse on him." She paused for a few moments, watching Elena take it all in. "Me."

"But...I thought that Damon killed Mason."

"No, Elena. I did." She said and looked down at her hands. Last night her nails were sharpened into long pointed claws that held Mason in a tight grip as he died. "I just...I don't know how I did it. All I remember is the life leaving his eyes. It was horrifying." She remembered how scared he looked, but yet he was unable to do something. Mason was a strong man and that fact that Grace could overpower him didn't add up. "Before I knew it...he was dead."

The doppelganger slowly approached her cousin who had begun to shake slightly. Her eyes were still glued on her hands and Elena gently put a hand on the Guardian's shoulder. "Grace—"

Their eyes met and Grace put her own hands down. "Look, Elena, I didn't come here to cry you my problems. I came to apologize for what happened to Jenna. It's all my fault that she was hurt."

Her cousin stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her. Elena embraced Grace tightly and for a few moments, the Guardian didn't exactly know how to react. Slowly, she hugged Elena back and let out a tired sigh. She hadn't realized how much everything had taken out of her lately and it was beginning to run her ragged.

"And I'm sorry that I don't understand what's happening to you." Elena told her quietly.

Grace pulled away from her, "No, Elena. You shouldn't be apologizing. It's my fault that Katherine went psycho. Don't go easy on me."

"But you didn't mean it. You're good, Grace. You're not evil," she said.

"God, are you not getting this through your head right now?!" Grace snapped. "I. Killed. Mason. I lost control of my powers and he's decomposing in the trunk of his truck. I threw it in Katherine's face and she took revenge on Aunt Jenna. Don't tell me that I'm _good_, Elena." With that, the Guardian stormed out of Elena's room, leaving the doppelganger speechless and helpless. She wanted to help Grace and she sincerely hoped that forgiving her would help, but all it did was backfire in her face.

* * *

><p>Grace had returned to the boarding house after an excruciating couple of hours at the dance studio. She had worked herself hard, dancing complicated combinations and pushing her body to the limit in hopes of eliminating all negative energy around her. It had worked for the most part and now she was in desperate need of a long, quiet shower. Her hair was still tied up in a tight bun when she walked through the front door and was greeted with a lot of chatter and noise from inside the living room. Damon, Stefan, and Alaric were standing over a table full of weapons while Bonnie and Caroline were skimming through the witch's grimoire.<p>

"What's going on here?" She asked and Jeremy met her at the opening of the living room.

"We're gonna kill Katherine." He announced and Stefan was quick to follow the anxious teen while Grace stood in silence.

"I'm sorry, I was hallucinating. What did you just say?" She looked to Stefan.

"We're gonna kill Katherine." He repeated and it didn't sound any better coming from him than it did from Jeremy. Stefan gently took a stunned Grace by the arm and led her into the living room where Alaric was giving a demonstration of one of his weapons.

"This works with compressed air. The trigger mechanism is up here." He instructed and showed off the weapon. It was pretty small and easily concealable. He strapped it onto his wrist and small stakes could be loaded into the mechanism. "I have two of these in a different size. For you I recommend this. It fits nicely under the jacket sleeve. You use the trigger when you're ready." He pressed the trigger and the stake attached to it came free, dropping into his hand. Alaric did a fake jab as if to pretend to kill a vampire while Damon and Stefan exchanged an odd glance.

"You wanted me to show you how to kill a vampire." He grinned cheekily.

Grace took up the smaller version of Alaric's weapon, weighing it in her hands. "This is great, but where do you expect me to hide this? Strapped to my thigh under my dress?"

"I sure as hell wouldn't object to helping you strap it on." Damon smirked widely and all eyes in the room were suddenly focused on him. He gave a nonchalant shrug to all of the accusing eyes. "What? That clasp looks tricky."

"Pig," Caroline grumbled.

"Guys, why do we think we can do this?" Grace butt in. "We're amateurs. You saw the other night that Katherine is always one step ahead of us."

"So, we'll be two steps ahead." Damon said. "C'mon feathers. Let's not forget that she and her little puppy dog friend were planning on spilling your blood to help unseal the curse."

"You're all forgetting that I killed someone." She told them.

"Because if you didn't, he would have killed you." He looked to Grace who still seemed conflicted with herself. "Look, we're doing this with or without you, but it would help to have a winged friend with us."

"Alright, if anybody wants to back out, I'll understand." Stefan offered to the group.

"Yeah. Cold feet speak now. I don't want this going wrong if someone chicken's out." Damon added. "Caroline?"

The blonde vampire shook her head. "I won't. Look, she killed me. Fair's fair."

"Good. Now since one werewolf is taken care of, we need to make sure that Tyler doesn't kill anyone, so he can't turn." Damon nodded

"Bonnie? Are you with us?" Stefan asked the witch who remained silent for a long time.

"But no one gets hurt."

"Except Katherine." The raven haired vampire clarified. "Tonight Katherine gets a stake through her heart."

"That leaves you, Grace." His brother looked questioningly at her and so did the rest of the group. Grace knew that this plan would go to hell if it wasn't executed correctly and that people would get hurt. So, she _could_ be there to make sure that things ran smoothly. She didn't want any more death to occur in this town.

"Fine. I'm in." The group all cheered quietly and Damon even gave her a subtle wink which made her blush. "But, I still have to go shopping and get prettied up."

"I can help with that." Caroline practically bounced with excitement.

* * *

><p>"How...appropriate." Damon smirked as he looked over Grace's short, white dress. It clung to her built body, accentuating her curves and showing off her long, dancer's legs. On her feet, she had a pair of gold sandals with a three-inch heal and in her hands was a white mask. She sure as hell looked like an angel; a mouthwatering one at that.<p>

"Can you help me tie this?" She held the mask out to him and she turned her back to the vampire. Damon lifted it over her face and Grace secured the mask in place. The blue eyed vampire tied the black ties in the back tightly behind her head and once the bow was tied, Grace turned back to him. It was an ivory mask with gold accents around the frame and eyes. Jutting out from the right side of the mask sat a bundle of long white feathers. The wispy fibers intertwined with one another, curling around each other. Grace looked herself over in the mirror and grimaced a little. _Shouldn't have had a cheeseburger for lunch_, she thought and smoothed out her dress. Her hair was braided in different sections and pinned up elegantly and her makeup was simple since she had the mask on.

"You ready for this?" Damon's question stole her from her careful scrutiny of herself and she nodded.

"Yeah." It was a mediocre answer, but it helped to convince Damon. He was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt underneath. A black tie was tied around his neck and he had a black and green mask covering his face. _A devil in disguise_, Grace thought to herself.

"I compelled Caroline's mom." He said. "And yours."

"Did you do what I asked you to do?" Grace asked and Damon gave a small nod. Grace had asked him yet again to compel her mother to forget her and leave town. He protested against it, but Grace wouldn't have it. He even tried to convince her to say goodbye to her mother, but again? Grace was resistant. So, as much as it pained him, he went in the cell and wiped Diana's memory clean.

"Thank you." She smiled. "It's just easier that way."

"If you think so." The vampire gave a shrug.

"Damon." She warned.

The vampire held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, okay! It's your mother."

"She hates me. It's just better off that she leaves town and starts over on her own." Grace sighed.

Damon didn't say anything, but simply held out his hand. Lying in his palm was a small box. "This is for you."

Grace's eye brows furrowed as she took the box in her hands. "What's this?"

"Just open it." Damon grinned and he watched as Grace pulled the neatly tied bow. It came loose and she lifted the lid off the box. The look on her face made Damon's smile grow more. Nestled inside was a gold bangle bracelet with an angel wing spanning over the front clasp. It was absolutely beautiful and it took Grace's breath away.

"You like it?" Grace nodded, a smile gracing her lips. He took the box from her and showed her the hidden compartment behind the wing. "Vervain goes there. It's already filled."

"Aww, you shouldn't have." She giggled.

"No, I had Jeremy do it." Damon was quick to respond and that made her laugh more. He clasped the bracelet around her right wrist; a perfect fit.

"It's beautiful, Damon." She twisted her wrist around, showing it off. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Damon kissed the back of her hand and wove his arm around hers. "Shall we?"

* * *

><p>The grounds of the Lockwood Mansion were crawling with masked guests, fire-eaters, jugglers, and acrobats. It certainly was an inviting sight and Grace found herself enthralled with it all. The Lockwood's always made sure to have the most lavish parties and no detail was overlooked. Grace was standing at her post, nursing a glass of white wine and keeping a sharp eye out for Katherine. Everyone had agreed to not tell Elena where they were since Stefan didn't want her involved. Across the way, Damon was talking with Stefan and they too were on the lookout. If either of them saw Katherine, they'd give the signal and the plan would move into place. The main concern was to get Katherine away from everyone at the party to be sure that the plan would be executed with no distractions.<p>

While she watched some couples dance, her eyes caught with Damon's blue ones and she found herself thinking back to the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. She remembered how Damon held her close and how he moved them elegantly across the floor. It was a memory she often played over and over in her head. It was magic how sometimes he made her feel like she wasn't alone. She felt a strange connection to him that she'd never felt with anyone else before.

While sipping from her glass, she caught Damon's eyes again and she felt heat rush up into her cheeks, a blush dusting them with color. She smiled at him, but he didn't return it. Instead, his hard gaze was focused on someone standing behind her.

Turning around, there stood Adam, dressed in a crisp suit and a black mask over his eyes. She was quite surprised to see that Violet was not by his side. Grace knew that she was in attendance since they managed to run into each other in the bathroom. Not a word was said between the girls, but glares and dirty looks were shared.

"Grace." He smiled warmly and the Guardian gave him a frown.

"Adam." She huffed and looked over her shoulder for Damon or someone to take her away from him.

"Can I get you a drink?" He asked and she shook her head, wiggling the glass in her hand.

"No thanks. I'm good." She said and crossed one arm over her chest. "Listen, why are you talking to me?"

"I'm here to warn you." That statement piqued her interest, but she was still wary of the Guardian.

"About what? You and Violet are planning on hoarding vampires in a basement and burning them?" Adam looked questioningly at her. "Your little girlfriend keeps her mind very open. Very easy to slip into." She'd learned that when she and Violet were fixing up their makeup in the bathroom. Fortunately for Grace, she could peer into Violet's subconscious without being detected. There she saw Violet and Adam deliberately planning and executing the lethal deed that nearly cost Grace her legs.

"Look, Grace. It's in our blood to hate vampires." Adam defended. "If we didn't take them out, this town would have been slaughtered."

"They are my friends, Adam."

"But they are putting you at risk." He fought. "What you're doing, Grace, it's worrying a lot of people."

"Well, my mother isn't one of those," she scoffed.

"No, I'm talking about other people. _Important_ people." He clarified. "His name is Malachi and he watches over Guardians all over the world. He's onto you, Grace."

The Guardian frowned again, her nose scrunching up and she leaned in closer to him. "What do you mean 'he's onto me?'"

"He can see that your darkness is spreading and he's getting concerned." Grace's mind immediately flashed back to that book Damon had given her.

"Is he in Mystic Falls?"

"He was. That's what worries me. He could still be here." Adam said.

"What does he look like?" She wondered. Maybe she came across him in her travels.

"I don't know. No one does." He shook his head. "He never shows his face. I just know that he's been in Mystic Falls."

"Why should I believe you?" Grace raised an eyebrow at him.

"Because I want to help you, Grace."

"Why?" She pressed and he sighed, pocketing one of his hands.

"Because Malachi could take you powers away." Adam stated. "I don't want that for you." Grace looked off past Adam and saw that both Damon and Stefan were gone. Had she missed the signal? Did they need her? Something in the air didn't feel right.

"I'm sorry, Adam, but I have to go." She gently took his arm to side step him and she felt a shock run up her arm. Grace shook it off and rushed past Adam, looking for either Stefan or Damon. She looked among the masked faces, finding herself becoming lost in them, but she happened to bump into an unlikely face.

Elena.

"Oh crap." Grace muttered to herself as her cousin stomped over to her.

"What the hell is going on here?" She asked loudly.

"You're supposed to be home, Elena." Her cousin warned.

"Alaric let me in on Stefan's plan. Don't tell me you're in on it too." Grace nodded slowly and Elena frowned.

"We saw an opportunity and we knew that we had to take it." The Guardian defended.

"Okay, stop with the "we", are you crazy? You're gonna get yourselves killed." Elena fought.

"Look, we know what we're doing." She told her firmly.

"And how am I supposed to feel if one of you guys gets hurt because of me?" The doppelganger asked.

"It's not just you anymore, Elena. She's messed with all of us, she has to be stopped." Grace growled. "Besides, as a Guardian I'm obligated to protect my friends and my family. I won't let Katherine get in the way of that."

Elena's lips parted to argue, but a hellish scream left her lungs instead. Her hand went to her back and she collapsed to her knees, crying out in pain. Grace immediately jumped into action, viewing a large wound on Elena's back and another new one that had appeared on her shoulder.

"What is happening to me?" She screamed and Grace tried to stop the bleeding. She pressed her hands to the wounds, concentrating on them, but her powers were hitting a solid wall.

"What the hell?" Grace muttered to herself as she tried again, even harder the next time, but she was bumped back by the invisible shield around Elena's wounds. Elena let out another pained groan as a long deep gash was drawn out on the palm of her hand. Grace looked towards the Lockwood mansion and clenched her fists. Katherine must be behind this.

"It hurts, Grace." The girl whimpered in pain.

"I'm so sorry, Elena, but someone is blocking me from healing you." She told her as her hands glowed even brighter to break the wall.

"It's a witch." Violet's voice spoke from above them and standing by her side was Adam.

"Well, don't just stand there! Help me! Tell Damon and Stefan that—"

"Jeremy already told them." Adam finished for her. "And Bonnie is looking for the witch who cast the spell."

Grace looked up at both Guardians in awe; they had actually helped her without even being asked. A shudder of pain from Elena drew Grace back to the matter at hand and she tried to heal her cousin again. "Please, I can't heal her on my own."

"I'll help you." Adam knelt down to Elena, gently touching the open wound on her back.

"Me too." Violet took Elena's hand in hers and all three Guardians began to work on mending the broken and bleeding skin. Hands glowed warmly and Elena felt her panic cease to exist, knowing that she was in good hands. The witch's spell was a strong one, but with all three Guardians knocking against the barrier at once, they were able to break it and Elena's body healed.

"Do you feel that?" Adam asked. "The spell is broken. Bonnie must have found her."

Violet helped Elena to her feet and over to some chairs where she could sit. "How are you feeling?"

Elena probed at her wounds, smiling a little. "Better. The pain is all gone."

The Guardian all smiled and Grace hugged her cousin tightly. Elena embraced her back, but recoiled feeling a thick substance oozing from her shoulder blades. "Grace, you're bleeding."

"But I-" Grace shrieked feeling an intense pain shoot through her shoulder blades. Trails of blood ran down her back, staining her white dress. "It's my wings. Someone's trying to provoke them to come out." Adam looked around to see that people were quickly becoming concerned as to why Grace was screaming and he took off his suit jacket, draping it over her shoulders to hide the wounds and stop the bleeding.

"It's Malachi." He hushed quietly and looked to Grace. "He's here."

"Who?" Elena asked and took Grace's hand in hers.

"He watches over Guardians and has been watching Grace for a while now." Violet replied, her senses on high alert for Malachi's presence. Grace took the collar of Adam's suit jacket between her teeth and bit down firmly, trying to muffle her screams so she wouldn't attract any more attention.

"What does he want?" Elena's eyes were wild with fear and panic.

"He's testing her." Adam answered. "To see how much she can control herself."

"I feel him, Adam. He's close." Violet's green eyes found a figure shrouded in darkness under a tree off in the distance. "There." Their eyes followed hers and Grace bit back another scream. She couldn't see Malachi's face, but she could feel his power. One hand was raised and it was glowing dark red with some wisps of black mingled in between his fingers.

"What can we do?" Elena protectively hugged Grace closer to her.

Adam shook his head, keeping his eyes trained on Malachi's form. "Nothing. Grace has to be able to keep her control."

Grace, who had remained silent the entire time, was focused on the man who was causing her this pain. She feared him, but at the same time she wouldn't allow him to see her be afraid of him. With shaky footing, she rose to stand and she kept her gaze locked on the dark man.

"Grace, what are you..." Adam trailed off seeing her eyes begin to glow amber. Slowly, she walked to Malachi even though the pain in her shoulders was excruciating. With each step, Malachi inflicted more pain upon her form, making her wobble and nearly collapse, but Grace kept pushing herself. His hand shook, trying to send more power her way, making the young Guardian tremble. More blood was spilling from the wounds as she felt herself grow weaker, but she would not yield to this new threat.

Malachi stepped back, perhaps in fear or admiration, but he was stepping down to her. He gave one last powerful burst of pain and Grace's strides halted feeling the skin on her shoulder blades rip violently. Her wings were twitching, begging to be released from their prison and to be freed, but Grace kept her control, knowing that she could after the many times she'd fought for keeping control over her own body. Her eyes found Malachi's form again and she continued to walk towards him, but in a split second he disappeared and so did his torture.

The young Guardian collapsed to her knees and hugged the jacket closer around her. She'd done it. She'd managed to make Malachi go away and she didn't even have to open her mouth to do it. Her powers were thrumming with a new life, a new light that made her body ache wonderfully. The slightest of smiles came to her lips as she felt her body healing itself in record time.

"Grace," Adam was standing beside her, mouth slightly agape as he still looked to where Malachi's form had been. "What did you just do?"

Grace followed his gaze and got to her feet. Elena and Violet both rushed over to see if she needed help, but thankfully, the tussle between Malachi and Grace hadn't tired her out. Normally, when a Guardian exerts that much power, their body can hardly handle it, but Grace never felt stronger.

"I don't know." She smiled widely.

* * *

><p>Katherine Pierce blinked away the darkness as she took in her surroundings. It was so dark that without her vampire senses, she could barely see two feet in front of her. She looked down to see that she was clutching the moonstone in her hand and she used the stone wall behind her to help her get to her feet. She knew this place. It was engulfed in darkness, but it felt familiar to her. She walked a few feet, following a path of light that was reflected on the floor to an open stone doorway. There stood Damon, a stoic expression casing his handsome features.<p>

"Hello Katherine."

"Where am I?" She hissed.

"Where you should have been all along." He answered and Katherine now recognized it as the tomb underneath the church. "I thought you'd have learned your lesson by now, messing with a Bennett witch."

Katherine stepped closer to the opening. "You should have killed me."

"Death would have been too kind." The raven haired vampire growled and pushed his weight against the stone door.

"No, Damon, don't. Damon, don't. You need me. Grace is in danger." Katherine's pleas made him stop and his blue eyes met hers.

"From who?" He wondered doubt in his eyes, but Katherine didn't answer. "You're lying, you're always lying." Damon shook his head disbelievingly.

"Why do you think I haven't killed her? Because she's a Guardian, she needs to be protected." She stressed.

"Then I'll protect her," Damon implored. "While you rot in hell." He shoved his body against the door and Katherine continued to beg for her freedom, but Damon wouldn't give in.

"No, Damon, don't! I'll do anything, please. Damon!" The last slivers of moonlight disappeared as Katherine was sealed inside the tomb. She threw herself at the door repeatedly but it wouldn't budge. "You need me! Damon! You need me! You need me!"

As he walked from the tomb, Katherine's screams faded away along with his worries that Grace was in danger. Katherine was gone, so what other threats were there in Mystic Falls? Damon wiped the dirt from his hands, climbing the steps out of the tomb and into the forest where his blue eyes met the bright moon that hung in the sky. He had promised himself that he would keep Grace safe and by locking Katherine away, he did just that.

* * *

><p>Grace shivered against the cold night air and pulled the jacket closer around her as she wandered aimlessly around the grounds. Her back was feeling better; however, she was looking forward to showering and washing the dried blood off her skin. She sent a message back to Damon who had told her that the plan worked and that they had the moonstone. She smiled and sent something along the lines of she'd be home soon and she was happy that everything worked out.<p>

"Hey." She smiled warmly at the male Guardian who was standing just a few paces from her.

"Hi." They were in silence for a few more moments before Grace took some steps forward. "Listen, thanks for everything tonight. Without you and Violet, I would have been in big trouble."

"No problem. I told you that I wanted to help you." Adam grinned.

Grace let out a string of laughs. "Yeah, well, I had my reasons for doubting you."

"I know you did and I don't blame you for it." He said and found himself staring at her. Even wrapped in his big jacket, she still looked as beautiful as ever. He did miss her a lot. He missed her laughs, her smile and her company.

"Grace, I-" His voice was cut off by his cell phone ringing and he gave an apologetic look.

"It's alright. I'm going to head home anyways." She waved it off and bid Adam goodnight. Grace made her way to her car out in the front lot; hers and Elena's were the only ones left. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of Adam's jacket to keep them warm when her fingers suddenly came into contact with a smooth surface. Her entire being tensed up as she gripped the object and pulled it from the pocket. It was a pale stone, the same one as in her visions and found on Mason's person. This one felt different, not in its texture, but in its aura. An incredible power was emitted from the stone and Grace felt it tingling against her fingers. This was the moonstone, the _real_ moonstone. Grace picked up her pace and fiddled with her keys to her car. Just as she grasped the key she needed, a black sack was placed over her head, blinding her and a set of hands gripped her by the sides of her head. With one rough shove, her head made contact with the window of her car, smashing it and the Guardian fell to the floor in a dizzy heap. The next few moments faded in and out for her before finally succumbing to the pain in her head. Her eyes fell closed and she gripped the moonstone tightly in her pocket as she felt herself being hoisted up in a stranger's arms and she slipped into unconsciousness.

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><p><strong>Hey all! Back from Disney World and thank you so much for all of the well wishes! It was such a magical vacation :) So, Grace apologizes to Elena for provoking Katherine, the gang plans of killing Katherine, Grace's mom is officially compelled and out of Mystic Falls, Damon got Grace her own vervain bracelet, Adam warns Grace that if she continues to let her darkness spread that her powers will be taken away from her, Malachi drops in to test Grace and fails, Adam and Violet help Grace to heal Elena, Damon traps Katherine in the tomb with the fake moonstone Grace ends up gaining possession of the <strong>_**real**_** moonstone by accident, and Grace is kidnapped by some unknown person. Bum bum bum! What will happen next?! Stay tuned and please review to find out :)**

**grapejuice101: **Yeah, it's a very big twist that Grace is now on the chopping block. Thanks for the review :)

**SomebodyWhoCares:** I agree, Grace and Damon should have a relaxing day soon. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it's in the cards for now. Damon can make Grace better and I think he should. Maybe in the next couple of chapters he'll man up ;) Thank you for reviewing!

**VampirePrincess11: **Yeah, poor Grace is right! She can't catch a break and now that she knows that she'll be used in the sacrifice is not helping either. Still so glad that you love this story :) Thank you for reviewing!

**BellaLove14: **You know, I was thinking of naming the cat Midnight, but I'm not sure. Damon and Grace will come clean soon, I promise! Grace is totally over Mason and Adam too! Of course I want some Damon and Grace cuddle time! I think everyone does ;) They will have their time and they are so, so close! Just hold on a little bit longer! Thanks for the review, girl!

**xJenzaFreakx: **Thank you so much for reviewing! I decided that having Grace kill Mason would be a nice twist and like you said, it adds to her darkness. For now, the cat is a cat, although I have thought about it being a person. Hmm, maybe? Yes, Grace has to be sacrificed and that will also foreshadow for the season finale for when Klaus comes into town. Adam and Violet are ehhh :/ After this chapter maybe people will feel a little differently about them, but I think they all still hate them, LOL! I agree with you completely about Grace's mother. She has good intentions, but the way she is going about talking to her daughter is just not working. Maybe Grace will have some second thoughts, but I think she is pretty dead set on having Damon compel her. PS - I had an amazing time in Disney World and I missed all of my readers/reviewers!

**Amber1986: **Gotta love the drama, girl ;) Grace will find out how Damon feels very soon! Please continue to be patient :) I am so glad that you're enjoying this story!

**vilgyt888: **Yep, Grace was the one to get rid of Mason. I like the cat too, however I don't know whether it will be a boy or girl and I need a name -.- Thanks, girl! I had a wonderful time in Disney! I didn't want to leave!


	34. Rose

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 34: Rose**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD. I only own my characters and story.**

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><p>Blinking away the blurry haze from her eyes, Grace slowly came to and she could still feel herself being carried somewhere. She remained limp in his hold, not wanting to alert her captor, but her wrists and ankles were also tied tightly. A few paces later, she was placed down on a cushiony surface and the man holding her cut the ropes that bound her. Grace waited for him to leave before opening her eyes and taking in her surroundings. It was a large abandoned mansion by the looks of it. Dust floated through the air, catching light that shown through the boarded up windows. Grace rose slowly from the couch; the floorboards creaked under her feet with each step she took. She still had Adam's suite jacket over her and she quickly dug her hand inside the pocket. Pulling out the moonstone, she felt her powers growing again, but she placed it back in the pocket hearing a small groan from a few feet away from her. Elena was coming to and Grace rushed over to her cousin, easing her to stand up.<p>

"Elena, my God! Are you alright?"

The brunette rubbed her tired eyes and looked around her. "What...what happened? Where are we?"

"I don't know." Grace admitted defeatedly. "But we have to-"

"Well, well. What have we here?" The man from before chuckled stalked towards the girls.

"Let us go!" Grace warned, but this man quickly flashed behind her. In seconds, his hands were gripping her to him, tightly and his lips were at the curve of her neck.

"No! Let her go!" Elena drew closer, but the movement of the vampire's fangs into place made her freeze in fear.

"Now, where were we?" The man snickered and yanked at Grace's hair which was coming loose from the style it was in last night. "All I want is just a little taste." He grinned and his fangs sharpened. His mouth leaned down to her neck, ready for the final bite and Grace could feel his hot breath on her skin.

"Trevor! Control yourself!" A woman's shout made the man stop and draw back. He let go of Grace and shoved her forward into Elena's waiting arms.

"Buzz kill." Trevor grumbled and zoomed out of the room.

"What do you want with us?" Elena stepped forward, facing the new woman. She was tall with pixie short brown hair.

"Oh my god, you look just like her." The woman hushed and Elena shook her head.

"But I'm not. Please, whatever you…"

"Be quiet!" She hissed.

"But I'm not Katherine. My name is Elena Gilbert; you don't have to do this." Elena explained.

"I know who you are. I said be quiet," the woman said again.

"What do you want?" In a sudden flash, the woman rushed forward and slapped Elena so hard that she flipped through the air and landed on the couch unconscious.

"I want you to be quiet," she said and Grace ran forward, her fists balled and swung at her.

"Don't harm my family!" She screamed, but the vampire grabbed her wrists in a crushing hold. Grace whimpered, falling to her knees and tears stung in her eyes.

"You need to sit down." She ordered darkly and threw Grace onto the couch with Elena. The force of her hitting the couch was so hard that she nearly toppled off of it. "Unless you want to be knocked out, I suggest you don't cross me again." The Guardian scooted up onto the couch, her back resting against it and the female vampire sped out of the room.

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><p>An hour or so later, Elena had come to again and Grace was by her side. The two girls were now sitting on the couch, contemplating their fate. The house was deathly quiet, only the hushed murmurings of the two vampires could faintly be heard.<p>

"What do they want with us?"

"I don't know, Elena." The Guardian wrung her hands in her lap nervously.

"And no one knows that we're missing." Elena added.

"But they will. I'm sure that Jeremy noticed that you didn't come home last night and Damon will know that I didn't come back to the boarding house either." Grace said. "Either way, someone will find out that we're gone and come for us."

"But that could be hours or maybe even days." Her cousin replied anxiously. "We could be dead by then."

"I know." Grace's voice was grave as she came to terms with the very possibility that she and her cousin could be killed before Stefan and Damon even knew that they were missing. "We just have to stay—" she gasped out when she felt something inside her already clenched fist. She jumped up and saw that a piece of paper had appeared in her hand. Looking back to Elena and then the note, she hurriedly opened it and her eager eyes scanned the page. A sigh of relief left her lungs and a hopeful smile painted her lips.

"What does it say?" The girl asked. Grace was ready to tell her, but then she remembered that they were in a house with two very old, very strong vampires. So, wordlessly, she handed Elena the note and watched her eyes light up as she read it to herself.

_Stefan and Damon are coming for you - B_

A door slammed closed somewhere in the abandoned house and the girls stole a panicked look at one another. Grace snatched back the note from Elena and used her powers to make the paper catch fire. If those two vampires saw that note, they'd be dead for sure. The girls needed to make sure that Damon and Stefan would have the element of surprise when they battled these too very old vampires. The flames engulfed it as it burned, consuming it until it was nothing and the last scraps floated to the floor. The man, Trevor, entered the room along with the same woman that had knocked Elena out before.

"We heard talking in here, so we figured that you were finally coherent." The woman said to Elena who Grace nudged to stand behind her.

"What do you want with us?" Grace asked and the woman rolled her eyes.

"Not you too."

"We want answers." She growled.

"And if you keep pushing you'll get nowhere." The vampire countered and nodded to Trevor who stalked toward Elena. Grace immediately acted and glowing embers of fire sat perched in the palms of her hands. Trevor halted in his tracks, his eyes glued to the flames in Grace's hands.

"I won't let you touch her." She hushed darkly. "All we want are answers. We've been trapped here for hours and it's not like any of us can run anywhere. The least you can do is tell us why we're here."

"Back down." Trevor hissed lowly.

"You first." Grace countered.

"Trevor!" The woman shouted. "Enough! Remember what-"

"I know, Rose!" He fought back and now the identity of the female vampire was revealed.

"So back down before things escalate." Rose commanded. Trevor and Grace remained in their stare off for a few moments more, but the vampire was the first to blink. He muttered something under his breath, cursing quietly and Rose joined his side. Keeping true to her word, Grace lowered her hands and snuffed out the flames.

"Now, let's have everyone relax. We don't need anyone getting hurt." Rose continued.

"So, you need us alive." Grace concluded and the two vampires shared a glance.

"Yes," Rose sighed heavily. "But we are just meant as a delivery service."

"To who?" The Guardian wondered.

"Elijah."

Grace's stomach immediately dropped and her eyes went wide. No...it couldn't be the Elijah that she knew. The vampire who looked out for her and the vampire that she considered a friend.

"Who is Elijah?" It was Elena's turn to ask the questions while Grace remained speechless.

"He's one of the vampires, the Originals." She replied.

"What do you mean the Originals?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Again with the questions. Haven't the Salvatores been teaching you your vampire history?"

"So you know Stefan and Damon?" Elena guessed.

"I know of them." Rose nodded. "A hundred years back, a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan. She said he was one of the good ones. I'm more of a sucker for the bad boys though but I digress."

Grace shook herself from her internal conflict about Elijah and found her voice again. "Who are the Originals?"

"Trevor and I have been running for 500 years. We're tired, we want it over. We're using you two to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess." The female vampire explained.

"But why us?"

"Because you're a Petrova doppelganger." She pointed to Elena and then looked to Grace. "And you're a Guardian. You both are the keys to breaking the curse."

"The sun and the moon curse?" Grace asked.

"Oh, you do know your history." Trevor smirked.

"What do you mean we're the keys? The moonstone is what breaks the curse." Elena fought.

Rose shook her head. "No, the moonstone is what binds the curse. The sacrifice is what breaks it."

Both Elena and Grace didn't like the sound of that. A sacrifice in any situation was never ever a good thing. "The sacrifice?"

"The blood of the doppelganger and a Guardian. You're the doppelganger and you're the Guardian. Which means, in order to break the curse you're the ones who have to die." Rose's confession made their blood run ice cold in their veins. Grace already knew that she'd be the one to die, but now her cousin had to die too. She'd fight this. She'd fight for Elena and she'd fight for herself. A sound unheard by the girls made the vampires look at one another. Fear gripped Rose and Trevor and they were now nervously moving around the room.

"He's here." Rose announced and took Grace by the arm, hauling her from the room. "Trevor, you bring Elena in to meet Elijah. Let me know when to bring in this one."

"No! Don't touch her!" Grace bellowed and reached for her cousin, but Trevor had already flashed out of the room with Elena. "If he hurts her-"

"He won't." The female vampire cut her off rigidly and threw her on the couch. "This is our chance at freedom and we're not messing it up."

"Well, I'm not dying so you and your friend can have your freedom." Grace hissed.

"I wish I could say that I'm sorry, but I'm tired of running from Elijah. Five hundred years is a long time to run." She said.

"What did you two do to piss him off?"

"Trevor made the mistake that countless other have made. He trusted Katerina Petrova." Grace looked up hearing that name.

"Katherine?"

Rose nodded. "Trevor helped her escape her fate and now we've been marked ever since. Which is why we're not gonna make the same mistake again." She gripped Grace's arm and yanked her up. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Rose's grip on her arm was incredibly strong; thankfully Adam's jacket was able to cushion her skin. Hopefully she wouldn't have bruises tomorrow because of it. The vampire led her through the house and Grace trembled with each step. She was frightened for not only her life, but Elena's too. She didn't want to die and she swore to herself that she wouldn't let herself or Elena succumb to that fate. Rose then opened a door and tossed Grace inside where Trevor caught her. Elena looked back and moved to her cousin, but Rose gave her a deathly glare that kept her rooted in her place. The male vampire kept a tight hold on Grace and her eyes were now glued to the very man that held her fate in his hands. Elijah hadn't changed at all since their last encounter, still impeccably dressed and his posture very regal.<p>

"Elijah," her voice barely came out as a whisper and it trembled weakly as she tried her hardest to be brave. Elena looked questioningly at Grace whose gaze hadn't wavered from the vampire's form.

Elijah continued to watch her, pondering on how he'd approach the matter of Grace being here with Elena. In seconds, he flashed from his position in front of Elena to ground himself before the young Guardian. Grace cursed herself for jerking back from him, but his very presence feared her. Whenever she encountered him in town, he'd naturally give off a confident air, but it was suppressed since his true aura was shaking her up quite a bit. His oak eyes trailed up and down her body as a scientist observes a slide under a microscope.

"This? This is the Guardian you've brought me?" He spoke and the two other vampires nodded quickly. Trevor was quick to throw Grace toward Elijah and the girl stumbled, her own legs were betraying her. Before she hit the floor, Elijah's strong grip tightened around her arms, holding her up and examining her closely. A grin pulled at his lips and he unhanded her, allowing her to take a step back.

"Well, she doesn't look very promising." He said and Trevor's face grew pale.

"S-she is." He stammered and looked to Rose for help.

"Elijah, we've been watching her for-"

"Silence." It was a single word, softly spoken, but it managed to shut both vampires up. Elijah looked at Grace again who was trembling, hugging the jacket close to her body. "She doesn't act like a Guardian." Grace's eyes then flicked up to meet his. She saw a glint of amusement there that she didn't take kindly to. Elijah began to circle her, analyzing every detail of her. Grace stood her ground, holding her breath as the vampire rounded her. His handpicked at a strand of hair that fell in front of her face and sniffed the dried blood that was crusted on it. The Guardian was glaring at him, her teeth clenched in her mouth and he was now standing in front of her again.

"Do you two think I'm an idiot?" He asked the two vampires.

Trevor growled loudly to himself and looked to Grace. "Show him! Show him what you are!"

Grace didn't answer and she shook her head. That only angered Trevor more and before all of them knew it, he was across the room, lunging for her with fangs bared. Grace's arms were suddenly outstretched, the tips of her fingers glowing brightly. Her wings unfurled from her back, ripping through the jacket and spanning grandly. The pristine white feathers glimmered brightly from the sunlight that bounced off them from where a couple of rays had managed to sneak through the cracks of the boarded up window. Trevor flew across the room and skidded against the marble floor until he hit the wall. Rose was quick to tend to her fallen friend, but Elijah stood still, absolutely amazed at what he had just witnessed.

"Now that is a Guardian if I've ever seen one." He hushed under his breath. The Original took a step towards Elena and Grace's wings flapped strongly, kicking up some dirt and dust from the floor. She stood in front of her cousin protectively and Elijah somewhat backed down from the Guardian.

"Grace..." Elena trailed off warily. "Don't fight him."

"Yes, Grace. I would listen to Elena." He added and pocketed one of his hands. "We have a long journey head of us. We should be going."

"We're not going anywhere with you." The Guardian growled and Elijah sighed tiredly.

"Have it your way then." He withdrew his pocketed hand and threw what seemed to be a black dust at Grace. On instinct, she shielded herself with her wings, but once the dust hit the feathers, searing pain shot through them. Each tiny white feather ached, burned before turning completely numb. Her wings wilted and the Guardian collapsed, actually feeling the heavy weight of them. Elena bent down to her cousin, glaring at Elijah.

"What did you do to her? She was just trying to protect me!"

"And in doing that she challenged me, which is never a good move." Elijah looked down at both girls. Grace shivered violently, her wings spasming and jerking about. She was unable to get them under control, so she tucked them against her back, making them disappear. Grace whimpered in pain, the only working wing she had was the one around her wrist from Damon.

"One last piece of business and we're done." The Original walked toward Trevor who was standing with his head down in shame.

"I've waited so long for this day, Elijah. I'm truly, very sorry." Trevor said quietly, not daring to look Elijah in the eye.

Elijah waved him off. "Oh no, your apologies not necessary."

Trevor swallowed and nodded. "Yes, yes it is. You trusted me with Katerina and I failed you."

"Oh yes, you are the guilty one and Rose aided you because she was loyal to you and that now I honor." Elijah was now circling the vampire, making him anxious. "Where was your loyalty?"

"I beg your forgiveness." Trevor's voice shook as Elijah rounded him. The Original hadn't faltered, but the vampire before him was trembling in fear. Elijah stood in front of him and Trevor still had not met his eyes out of respect for the elder vampire. Rose stood off in the distance, her hands clutching the railing that she was standing by and she prayed that Elijah would grant a pardon to her dear friend.

"So granted." Those two simple words made the smallest of smiles pull at Trevor's lips and for a moment, he and Rose rejoiced silently. That very moment was short-lived when Elijah's arm swung across the male vampire's neck, decapitating him in one simple motion. Blood spattered the walls and Trevor's headless body fell to the floor in a heap. Rose let out a cry of despair while both Elena and Grace recoiled from the scene, their stomachs churning.

"You!" Rose snarled and made her way to the Original.

"Don't, Rose. Now that you are free." The vampire halted and cried out looking at her friend's body. Elijah looked to both girls and held out his hand. "Come."

"What about the moonstone?" Elena announced and Elijah remained somber, but intrigue sparkled in his eyes.

"What do you know about the moonstone?"

"I know that you need it and I know where it is." She continued.

"Yes?"

"I can help you get it." Grace looked at her cousin as if to tell her to shut her mouth because the real moonstone was right with her.

Elijah drew closer, towering over the girls and it was Elena's turn to protect her cousin. She stood up and squared off with Elijah who just stared her down. "Tell me where it is."

Elena shook her head. "It doesn't work that way."

"Are you negotiating with me?" Elijah asked amusedly and looked to Rose who was crying silently over the loss of her friend.

"It's the first I've heard of it." She grumbled and the Original took Elena by the back of the neck, holding her gaze with his. She wasn't wearing any jewelry on her, so his compulsion took hold very easily. "Tell me where the moonstone is."

"Elena, don't!" Grace pleaded.

"In the tomb, underneath the church ruins." Her cousin replied robotically. She didn't know where the real moonstone was, so she was telling Elijah the location of the fake one.

"What is it doing there?" He asked.

Elena's lips moved against her will. "It's with Katherine."

Elijah nodded slowly and unhanded Elena. "Interesting." He then looked to Grace who was glaring at him and he hoisted her up.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked.

"Making sure that you both are telling the truth." He replied and looked deep

into Grace's eyes. He felt a block, vervain. He saw nothing around her neck, but a gold bracelet gleamed on her wrist.

"Now, what is this vervain doing here?" He questioned uncaringly and yanked it off her wrist. Grace reached to grab it back, that being her only weapon to stop herself from telling the truth, but Elijah tossed it to a corner of the room. He threaded a hand in her hair, tugging firmly to make her look at him and in seconds she was under his spell.

"Where is the moonstone, Grace?"

She couldn't stop herself as much as she tried to swallow her response, it came bubbling back up again. "It's with Katherine in the tomb beneath the church."

Elijah let her go, hearing something breaking from upstairs. He whipped around to face Rose who looked just as clueless. "What is that?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know." While the two vampires argued with one another, Grace unclenched her fist and let a single sprig of vervain fall from her hand and onto the floor. She had managed to steal one from her bracelet when Elijah was speaking with Trevor. It was a stupid plan, but surprisingly successful.

"Who else is in this house?" He took Elena and handed her to Rose while he took up Grace.

"I don't know." Rose repeated and followed Elijah as he tugged Grace along with him to another part of the house. A large staircase was the centerpiece of the room with a huge glass window behind it. The staircase split at the landing, a left and a right side which led to more stairs which would take a person to another level of the house. More glass broke and bodies flashed around the room, making Elijah angrier by the second.

"Rose." He growled.

"I don't know who it is." She answered him.

"Up here." A voice called and both girls recognized that it was Stefan. Elijah let go of Grace and flashed to follow the voice to halfway up the staircase.

"Down here." Damon's voice teased and Grace couldn't help but smile that he came for her.

Elijah then received a thin stake in his hand. It barely hurt him, but he was more bothered by it then anything. Someone was actually daring to challenge him and annoyed him to no end. He extracted the stake from his hand and looked to see that Elena, Rose, and Grace had disappeared from the bottom landing. He tossed the stake aside with a growl and made his way back down the steps.

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><p>Grace held her breath as she looked up at Damon who had managed to grab her and rush her away from Elijah. They were pressed tightly against the wall up on the second landing of the house, hidden from Elijah's view. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, so hard that Damon could feel it against his own chest. Looking across the way, Grace saw Stefan with Elena and Rose in the same position, a hand over each mouth to keep them both quiet. Damon slowly lowered his hand from Grace's mouth and leaned back to try and see where Elijah was standing.<p>

"Damon..." she trailed off, unsure of even what to say. Thank you for saving me? Please be careful?

Leaning back into her so they were close again, a smirk painted on his lips. "Did you really think that I was going to just stay in Mystic Falls?" It was merely meant to tease her and she smiled warmly at the attempt.

"Excuse me." Elijah called out into the house and Damon put his hand over Grace's mouth again. "To whom it may concern: you're making a great mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't. Do you hear that?" Grace's eyes held Damon's the entire time. Inside, she was a wreck, her nerves were all over the place, but Damon's aura calmed her down significantly. He pressed himself closer to her, shielding her protectively when he caught sight of a glow in the pocket of the jacket around her shoulders. Grace saw it too and her hands had started to glow like the moonstone. Her powers were coming back to her and she no longer felt the black dust constraining her powers.

"I repeat," the pair heard the sound of wood being bent and broken, making Grace whimper behind Damon's hands. He held up a finger at his lips, giving her a look to tell her to stay quiet. "You cannot beat me. So I want the girls. I'm going count to three or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?"

* * *

><p>Elijah stood at the foot of the staircase armed with a sharp stake he'd gotten from breaking apart an old coat rack that rested against the wall. He was able to smell two other vampires in the house with him. He figured that they had come to claim back Elena and Grace, but he wouldn't let the two vampires out of the house alive.<p>

"I'll come with you." Grace announced from the top of the steps. "Just please don't hurt my friends. They just wanted to help me out." The Original suddenly flashed up the stairs, meeting her halfway with the stake in his hands.

"What game are you playing with me?" He growled.

Grace held out her hands and shot flaming embers at Elijah. He shouted loudly, his skin sizzling. The flames burned out and Elijah's face and hands healed quickly. He lunged toward her, but Stefan came from the left landing with one of Alaric's stake guns. He shot multiple shots at Elijah and that didn't seem to faze the Original. He ducked them with ease and the one that did hit him, barely caused any damaged. Stefan tossed the gun aside and tackled Elijah, sending them both down the stairs. Elijah was able to get up first since the fall took a lot out of him. He moved towards Stefan, ready to end his very short vampire life, but Damon appeared and staked him right in the heart with the other half of the coat rack that he had abandoned. He pushed Elijah to the wall, the stake skewering through his body and embedding in the wall. Elijah gasped out, trying to remove the stake, but grey lines had already begun to cover his face and hands. His head fell forward limply and his entire body fell slack against the wall. Damon stepped back from him, admiring his handiwork when he saw Rose rush in to see that Elijah was now dead and gone. Before he could even go after her, she flashed from the house.

"Let her go, Damon." Grace's soft voice made him turn toward the staircase to see her standing there. They both stood there for a moment, frozen in time, as if neither Stefan nor Elena were there with them. Grace let out a shaky breath and smiled at him to which Damon returned it. She then bolted down the stairs and ran to the vampire, wrapping her arms around him. Damon didn't know what to do with himself at first, but he eventually hugged her back. He sighed in relief that Grace, _his_ Grace was safe and sound. When he found out that she was missing from her room, he knew that something was wrong. He checked her house and found that no one had been there, but when Stefan informed him that Elena had gone missing too, he knew that it was a plan by someone. Grace pulled back from their embrace and stared up at him, at a complete loss for words. Her eyes then trailed down his lips and unknowingly, Damon was doing the same. They slowly moved closer until...

"Grace," Elena called and the two immediately broke apart. Grace awkwardly tucked a curl behind her ear and Elena pointed at the pocket of the girl's coat. Smiling, the Guardian fished out the moonstone, showing it to them and the brothers exchanged a look of confusion.

"It's a long story." She said simply.

"Great. We'll all get to hear it in the car." Damon deadpanned.

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><p>After explaining everything about the sacrifice and the moonstone, Grace headed back to her house. She needed more clothes and other things from her room and as much as she liked living at the boarding house, she needed a wider variety of clothing. Night had fallen on Mystic Falls, tiny bright stars illuminating the black sky. Stepping inside her home was a complete and total shock to the Guardian.<p>

Everything was gone.

Anything pertaining to her old life was stripped from the house. Every little piece of it was gone. Furniture and picture frames were no longer there to give the house a warm feel. Only white walls and bare rooms remained and it made Grace feel uneasy. The sight brought Grace back to when she and her mom decided to move back to Mystic Falls. Again, they'd left the house empty and packed up their lives to start over.

_"It will be good for us to go back to Mystic Falls." Her mother said. "Just think, you'll see Elena and all of your friends again. You'll get to start fresh, Grace."_

"Yeah, some fresh start." Grace grumbled to herself as her mother's words echoed in her head. If she never moved back to Mystic Falls, she would have never learned about vampires or Guardians or werewolves or witches. She would have never had to escape death or feel like her life was constantly threatened.

Shaking her head, Grace then climbed the stairs to the upper landing and stopped dead in the hallway across from her mother's room. The door was ajar and she could see that it was empty as well. Little tears pricked at her eyes, but she didn't dare let them fall. She knew what sending her mother away would be like, but she quite anticipated it to feel like this. She felt guilty and selfish for making her mother forget everything about her own daughter and her life in Mystic Falls. Making her way down the hallway, she came to her bedroom door which was closed. She swallowed her tears and opened the door, thanking every force in the universe that the inside of her room had remained untouched. It looked the same as she left it when she went to go live in the boarding house.

"It makes sense," Grace sighed and walked over to her closet. "Why clear out a room if the person doesn't exist." Sifting through the hangers, she numbly pulled clothes from her closet and stuffing them into duffel bags. Grace shuffled around her room, packing up anything and everything that she could get her hands on. She was trying not to let her emotions get to her, but she was quickly becoming consumed by them. Maybe it was the events of today with Elijah, maybe it was the very fact that her mother was actually gone, but whatever it was, it finally hit her. She fell to her knees in the mess of clothes and just hugged her knees to her chest. She leaned back against her bed frame and just cried.

Grace wanted to believe that moving to Mystic Falls would make her happy, she really did, but it just made everything worse. All she wanted was to move on and be happy. Her father's death still haunted her now more than ever because her mother lied to cover up his death. Her mother's ability to shut her out was another thing to set Grace off. Because of this, Grace had sent her mother packing and she was now sitting alone on her bedroom floor. Rose had also confirmed her worst fear that she and her cousin were to be sacrificed in a curse that had been drawn even before they were born. She'd never felt so alone in her entire life and she never felt so misunderstood. Hot tears flooded her cheeks, nearly drowning in them and she didn't even bother to wipe them away. She just let herself cry and sob until she was exhausted.

"Rough day?" Looking toward the window seat she saw Damon sitting there with a timid smirk on his lips. Grace climbed to her feet, wiping her tears away with the back of her hands.

"You don't even know." She sniffled and went back to packing her life into bags. "I came back here because I needed to bring more things to the boarding house."

Damon rose from the window seat, slowly making his way over to her and held up something in his hand. "I brought you this."

The Guardian turned her attention from her current job and awed at the bracelet. She'd completely forgotten to grab it before she left the old house and cursed herself for her wrist feeling naked the entire car ride home.

"I thought that was gone. Thank you." She reached for bracelet, but Damon pulled it away from her. Something about him was strange and to Grace, it was very off-putting. "Please give it back."

Damon cleared his throat and tucked the bracelet back in his pocket. "I just have to say something."

"And why can't I have my bracelet?" She questioned anxiously.

"Well, because what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I have ever said in my life." He stated.

"Damon, what's wrong?" Grace asked worriedly and he shook his head.

"I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it." Nodding, Grace allowed Damon his turn to speak. Everything about him seemed tense and insecure. She'd never seen Damon like this and she hoped that nothing was wrong.

"I love you, Grace." It wasn't meant to tease or be sarcastic. It was real and genuine. It was so unlike Damon to say those four words, but he just had to tell her. He meant each and every syllable, not a regret in his mind that he had finally told her what he should have a while ago. Grace was in complete shock. She heard him, but wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. Damon was hardly the kind of person to share his emotions and he'd normally bottle them up until they exploded and bubbled over. But this...this was the last thing that she expected Damon to say. He...he loved her. His aura quickly changed from dread to such longing that she could feel his undead heart aching for love that was never returned to him.

"And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you, but someone else does." The vampire leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on her forehead and when Grace looked back at Damon, she could see his eyes were misty. He was crying. She didn't even know if Damon could cry, but here he was; a one hundred year old vampire was confessing his undying love. He gently cupped Grace's cheek and she eased into his touch. As soon as their skin came in contact, his inner aura intensified, filling Grace with an incredible warmth that was indescribable.

"God, I wish you didn't have to forget this..." He hushed and Grace was startled by the sudden change in his voice and aura. Peering up at him, she saw a lone tear fall down his cheek and the overwhelming feeling of sadness and heartache gripped her tightly, nearly suffocating her.

"But you do." He trailed off and Grace saw the shift begin in his eyes. He was going to compel her to forget his very moment. Panic shocked every nerve in her body, she couldn't forget this. She wouldn't allow him to make her forget this moment in time. Before she even let him wipe her memory clean, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his. She'd done it to distract him, yes, but she also did it because she needed to let him know how she really felt about him. The vampire immediately tensed, his muscles going rigid, but the softness of her lips kept reminding him of the reality that she kissed him. Grace's trembling hands rose to cup his cheeks as she deepened the kiss between them and this time, Damon responded to her. His lips moved gently over hers and his arms found her waist, pulling her against him. Thankfully, her memories were still in place and Grace broke their kiss just slightly to look up at him.

"Please, don't make me forget." She pleaded as she had begun to cry as well. "I love you, Damon."

There. She said it. She had been harboring her feelings for Damon for quite some time, but it never seemed right until now. She and Damon were more alike than she ever thought possible, but that likeness brought them closer together. When everything with Adam came to a head and exploded in her face, Damon was there for her. Today with Elijah, he was there for her. He risked his life in staking Elijah and he did it to save her. The expression on Damon's face was unreadable. His eyes were glazed over, as if he didn't hear a word that she said and he continued staring at her.

"I love you." She said again, more sure of herself this time and she saw Damon's hard exterior crack. He snapped from his haze and let out a breath he forgot that he was holding. His shoulders fell, slumping forward from their once tense posture and a ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Grace," he breathed.

"Let me finish." The Guardian placed her hands on his chest as if to halt him from speaking or trying to compel her again. "Damon, through everything that has happened, you've always been there for me. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there. When I feel like my entire world is falling apart and I have no one to turn to...I realize that I have you." Grace cupped his cheeks and stared into his hypnotizing blue eyes. "Don't make me forget that you love me, because I don't know who to turn to anymore but you."

Damon's hands came up to hold her hands that were on his face and his fingers ran over the backs of her hands. Taking her right one away from his face, he fished the bracelet from his pocket and slid it on her wrist. It was his promise to her that he wouldn't compel her to forget. Once the bracelet was in place, he grasped her hand and pulled her closer. Grace's breath was caught in her throat and her eyes were glued on his lips that had the power to make her his. Both vampire and Guardian leaned into one another and their lips met in a passionate kiss. Grace whimpered against his lips and her arms found their way around his neck, hugging him closely to her. Likewise, Damon snaked his arms around her waist, cradling her body to his and deepened the kiss. Again she felt the same loving feeling as soon as her body came into contact with his. It was electric and it only made Grace crave him more. Like the other times that their lips touched, she craved his blood, but this time she wanted him. Skimming her hands down his chest, her fingers trailed over the buttons of his shirt and she felt Damon's inner passion ignite even further. So many times had they been interrupted when they were together. Whether it was by her visions or the prying eyes of their friends, something always managed to come between them. But tonight, no one else was there. It was just the two of them, embraced in a lover's kiss.

Clothes were lost, stripping them from each other's bodies in an effort to feel the bare skin that so ached to be touched. Moving to Grace's bed, Damon flashed them so he was hovering over her. His lips were at her neck, his tongue running circles over her pulse point which was thudding wildly against her skin. Grace's legs wound around his waist when she felt his teeth digging into her neck and her fingers threaded in his lush hair. With a moan, she tugged his head back up and kissed him hard, still keeping her fingers in his hair. As much as she wanted to feel his tongue on her, bringing her to incredible heights of pleasure, but she didn't want foreplay. She wanted him now. Her nails gently scratched at his scalp and she whimpered against his lips. His hands wandered down her curvaceous body to grip himself tightly. A gasp left her feeling his hardness rubbing against her lips. Eyes locked, not a doubt or hesitation was found and Damon slowly pushed into her. Clenching down on him, Grace's eyelashes fluttered closed. It had been too long since she had been made love to and Damon was sure to give her time to adjust to his size. The vampire pressed his face against her collarbone, breathing heavily as her walls accommodated his girth. Her hands clung to his body and she gently bucked her hips into his, telling him that she was ready. Damon peered up at her and she smiled warmly before leaning up and kissing him.

At first they worked at a slow pace and Damon was the one to control it. He held her hips and did all of the work. The Guardian thrashed her head back and forth on the pillow as he pushed in and out of her. Her back arched into his, pressing their bodies closer together and her arms looped under his. Her hands splayed over his strong back, feeling his shoulder blades shift under his warm skin. The sensation made her own shoulders ache; her wings were just itching to be freed. So, using all of her strength, she rolled them over so she was sitting atop his hips. He gave her a questioning look and a bit of trepidation shone in his eyes. Normally, he'd only been with other vampires and in those cases, he could be as rough and as reckless as he wanted. Grace was supernatural, but Damon wasn't sure if he could keep himself in check.

"I'm not fragile, Damon." She grinned amusedly and ground herself on him. The vampire hissed through his teeth and let her take control. Grace braced her hands on his pecks and moved back and forth, swiveling her body. Her shoulders shifted at their own will and her wings suddenly appeared from her back. She hadn't expected it, neither had Damon, but he smiled at the tips of her feathers that brushed against his forearms.

"Whoa," he leaned up, his fingers reaching out to touch them and she giggled.

"Oops." Her wings were responding to his light touches and kisses, each fiber on her feathers warming pleasantly. Damon's hands held her full hips, easing her back down onto him and he groaned into the swell of her breasts. He nipped and kissed there, dragging his teeth along her supple skin. Grace moved with him, pleasure coursing through her veins and she moaned softly into his ear.

"Grace." It sent shivers down her body and she whimpered, biting her lip to keep from screaming out. In a quick and graceful movement, Damon had her on her back again, but he was very mindful of her wings. He was sure not to twist or bend them in any way that would cause her pain. She smiled at the way he cared for her wellbeing, it made her feel loved and wanted. Her walls suddenly clenched around him again, signaling that she was close to falling off the edge and Damon was too. He held her neck, his fingers winding in her hair and he pressed his forehead against hers. He spurred his thrusts to move faster and Grace scratched at his back. Each thrust brought her closer and closer to orgasm and her grip tightened on him. Her nails broke the skin on his back, but the crescent marks healed up quickly. Grace whimpered her name against his lips and Damon caught them in kiss, sending them both over the edge of their orgasms. Coming together, white bursts of pleasure erupted through them. Their bodies shivered, shaking and trembling against one another's. Toes curled and whimpers left their lips as their hips continued to thrust wildly, chasing their orgasms.

After coming down from their highs, Damon rolled off of her and laid beside her. The Guardian winced in pain, Damon's body crushing her wing. The mass of feathers twitched beneath him as if he had rolled onto her arm.

"Sorry." He moved off her and Grace maneuvered herself onto her side, placing her wings behind her. She pulled the blanket up over her, covering her body wordlessly and looking up him innocently. His hair had fallen in front of his face and she could see that his pupils were dilated.

"Any regrets?" She asked him quietly and he turned onto his side, facing her. A flush dusted her skin and her wild curls fell over her shoulders.

"Not one." Damon replied and gently kissed her. He could taste the sweat from her skin and she smiled against his lips. Her eyes drooped, heavy with sleep and she cuddled closer to him. Earlier in the evening, she felt his overwhelming surge of emotions, but now he was at complete peace. Grace nuzzled his body, her nose running up and down his neck and Damon lightly kissed her forehead. His own eyes even fell closed, exhaustion dragging on his limbs and he felt the soft flutter of Grace's wings on his bare skin as they curled around him.

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><p><strong>Well, I hope that this wait wasn't too long for all of you! Grace and Damon finally admitted their love for each other! *throws confetti and dances around* The gang now has the real moonstone and Elijah is dead...well, not really. I hope that all of you enjoyed this chapter and please review!<strong>

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><p><strong>BellaLove14:<strong> Thank you for reviewing! Yeeeaaahhhh, I did have Grace get kidnapped. I couldn't avoid it - it had to happen. Hmm, cuddle time happened ;) I hope you enjoyed it!

**grapejuice101:** Thanks for the review! I agree! It was nice to see Grace, Adam, and Violet reconcile their differences. The question is, will that stay? Or will Adam do something to send Grace over the edge again?

**Amber1986:** Hehe, yeah this was a pretty interesting cliffhanger! Thanks for reviewing and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!

**VampirePrincess11:** Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, things are getting interesting and the moonstone is thankfully with the good team!

**Guest:** Thank you for reviewing! Well, I wanted to have Damon dance with her, but it just didn't fit into the chapter. But I think the ending made up for it ;)

**Dr whololz:** Thanks for the review! I love how Damon and Grace flirt and tease too. They just naturally understand one another in a way that no one else can.

**Guest:** Here is your update! Thanks for reviewing!

**aireagle92:** Yeah, whoa! Haha, here is your update! Hope you enjoyed it :)

**klandgraf2007:** Glad that you're enjoying this story! Thank you for reviewing!

**Nymartian:** Thanks, girl! I am so glad that you enjoy my story and my characters! Well, I wrote the scene a little differently, but I think it fits very well with the kind of girl Grace is. I hope you liked it :)

**loulouflowerpower:** Here's your update! Hope you enjoyed it :)

**xfaithx23:** I actually don't remember how long ago I started this story, but it feels like ages, LOL! I appreciate all reviews from my incredible readers :) This is a beautiful review and I do hope that you enjoy my updates and other stories.


	35. Author's Note

Hi everyone! So sorry to burst you bubble, but this is not a chapter update. This is, however, an update about what is going on in my crazy life. For those of you who do not know, I am in my last semester of college and I am preparing for my teaching certification. In short, I have to tape myself teaching 3 sequential lessons and write extensive 30 page commentaries to be placed in a portfolio and sent up to the state where I will be scored. The amount of work is unbelievable and it is a very stressful time in my life right now.

As much as this pains me to say this, I will have to go on a hiatus until **the end of March**. Please do not worry because **I** **will be coming back**. I could never leave my readers, but I do need to focus on this because teaching is my passion and if I don't pass this certification - I will not be certified. So, this certification is pretty much taking over my life for the time being. I will still be able to PM with you, so please feel free to drop me a line! I want to thank all of you for being so supportive during my writing journey. I hope that all of you are doing well and I will be back soon :)

**My tumblr:**misswings1864


	36. Katerina

**Kaleidoscope Heart**

**Chapter 35: Katerina**

**Beta:****PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:****I own nothing of TVD. I only own my characters and story.**

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><p>The following morning, Damon's eye cracked open slowly, adjusting to the light streaming in from Grace's bedroom window. He turned over in a huff, throwing himself down onto the mattress and that caused some white feathers to fly up into the air. Looking around, he watched them float up before spiraling down to the floor if bed again. He took one in his hand and turned to where Grace was sleeping soundly. Wings curled around her body tightly and he could just see the top of her mused curls poking out. Little white feathers were strewn all over and he took one up in his hands. He blew it at Grace and that made her shrink into her winged cocoon even more. Begrudgingly, she opened her eyes and peered at Damon through the spaces in the fibers of her wings.<p>

"Morning, feathers," he greeted and she hid her blush. She sat up, still keeping the blanket around her body and stretched out her wings. They were sore from last night's escapades and so was the rest of her body. Yawning, she tucked her wings to her back, willing them to go away and she happened to catch Damon staring at her.

"What is it?" She asked and settled back down to the bed.

The vampire leaned on his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "I love you."

Grace found herself blushing again and she bit her bottom lip. "I love you too." She scooted forward to him and kissed him lightly. Damon immediately responded, slipping his tongue past her lips and tangling with hers. The Guardian passed her hands through his hair, sighing contently and she nibbled at his bottom lip. He rolled them over, hovering over Grace and he trailed down her rib cage.

"Damon..." It wasn't a moan or gasp that he had heard fall from her lips so many times last night, so he looked up at her. Trepidation and hesitation plagued her features and Damon gave her his full attention. "Why did you want to compel me to forget?"

The vampire let out a long sigh after remaining quiet for a moment. He had hoped that she would just leave it alone, but Grace was never one to just leave things be. His lips left her body and he sat himself up. Grace followed, keeping the blanket around her torso.

"You don't understand, Grace." He shook his head.

"Well, help me understand." She pressed and watched his eyes fade just slightly. She reached out to touch his hand and saw a vision of him and Katherine in the living room of the boarding house.

_"Okay, wait." He panted against her skin. "Brief pause." An aggravated Katherine shoved him off and he stumbled backwards. "I have a question. Answer it and__its__back to fireworks and rockets' red glare. Answer it right and I'll forget the last one hundred and forty five years that I've spent missing you. I'll forget how much I loved you, I'll forget everything and we can start over. This could be our defining moment because we have the time. That's the beauty of eternity." His voice shook as he readied himself to hear Katherine's verdict. He spent 145 long, painful years searching for this woman and he needed to know her true feelings. Damon took her face in his hands, caressing her cheeks. "I just need the truth just once."_

_Katherine held a hand up, "Stop. I already know your question and its answer." She told him sadly. "The truth is...I've never loved you. It was always Stefan." Right before her eyes she saw Damon shattering to pieces. This was a broken man if she ever did see one. He was so vulnerable when he begged with her to be honest with him and now he was inconsolable. The female vampire took his hands off her face before walking past him and leaving Damon alone with his sorrows._

"You're hurt." She stated and Damon didn't answer. Grace remembered that night at the boarding house, but she was never around to hear the entire conversation because she had left as soon as Damon's lips crashed on Katherine's. Grace had now learned that for 145 years, Damon loved a woman unconditionally only to have his love thrown back in his face. Katherine always loved Stefan and she only had Damon around to use and abuse him. That's why he wanted to compel Grace; he was so tired of being hurt that he didn't want to give his heart to anyone.

"Damon, I'm not like Katherine. I'd never do that." Grace scooted closer to him and took his face in her small hands. "I love you." Each word was pronounced slowly as if to ingrain them in his brain and to erase any doubts that he had. "I know how it feels to be second best and I wouldn't ever want to make you feel like you're second best. Not to me." She leaned forward and kissed him gently to stir any kind of emotion in him and she felt it bubbling beneath his skin. He was warming up to her, trusting her words, and putting his faith in her.

Breaking the kiss, Damon's bright eyes stared back at her. "I know you're not like Katherine, but there is only so much hurt a man can take." He said softly and that made Grace frown. "But last night with you...I didn't feel any pain."

Grace's eyes met his and she smiled gently. "I won't hurt you." She promised and kissed him again. This time, Damon deepened the kiss and cradled Grace's body in his lap. She squeaked against his mouth at the sudden movement but it turned into a moan feeling his arousal pressing into her.

"Want to make it official?" He teased and lightly bit at her neck with his blunt teeth.

"I...I thought last night did." Grace whimpered and her body gave a shudder when Damon yanked the blanket off her. He pinned her down, growling playfully and he settled himself between her legs.

"Well, now I know that you're not fragile." His breath tickled her lips. "I can take you like a vampire would."

Grace smirked, her eyes darkening with lust and she gave him a challenging look. "Give me your best shot, Salvatore."

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><p>It was very odd, almost foreign to Grace to have Damon holding her hand or giving her little pecks on the cheek whenever he felt like it. She'd never seen Damon this happy and it only made her love him more. They walked up to the front stoop of the boarding house and rang the doorbell. While waiting, Grace caught sight of Damon's hand playing with the hem of her shirt.<p>

"Damon, stop that." She playfully scolded him.

"Make me," he challenged and suddenly pulled her aside to the right of the doorframe. Grace opened her mouth to protest, but Damon's lips were immediately on hers. The two kissed passionately and Damon hiked up Grace's leg to wrap around his hip. He pressed himself into her, growling against her mouth and Grace responded by moaning quietly.

"Grace?" The two immediately broke apart to see both Elena and Stefan staring at them with wide eyes. Grace cleared her throat and adjusted herself while Damon just remained cool as a cucumber.

"Well, this is awkward." He clicked his teeth.

"So, uhm, what's the emergency?" Grace spoke up. "You texted saying that it was urgent that we come over." Stefan wordlessly ushered everyone inside while Elena was looking to Grace for an explanation of what she just witnessed. Once inside the house, Grace saw Rose standing in the living room.

"You!" She hissed and Damon stepped in front of her.

"Easy, Grace." He held up his hands. "She's not here to hurt you."

"She better not because I can burn her to a crisp." Grace shouted to Rose over Damon's shoulder.

Grace sat on the couch after Rose had delivered her oh, so wonderful message about another vampire who was looking for her and Elena. His name was Klaus and he was one of the Originals like Elijah. Rose warned everyone that Klaus was a lot worse than Elijah and while Damon and Stefan were quick to just ignore the fact that Klaus existed, Rose had other ideas. She swore that Klaus would come, take what he wanted, and show no mercy to those who stood in his way. The Guardian looked up from her lap at the sound of the floor creaking and she saw Damon walk into the room.

"I can hear your nerves from the kitchen," he noted and set a glass of water down next to her.

"You would be nervous too if the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after you." She wrung her hands in her lap anxiously and Damon placed his hands over them.

"Listen to me; we don't know for sure if Klaus is even real." He firmly squeezed her hands.

"I don't know. As much as I don't like Rose, her story kind of makes sense," she said. "Yesterday she was talking about needing the blood of both the doppelganger and a Guardian. But, what I don't understand is why Elijah was there."

"We don't have to worry about Elijah now. He's dead and gone." Damon said proudly, remembering how he had the guts to stake him through the heart. "Look, why don't you just hang here for the day and relax?"

Grace pursed her lips, thinking it over. Relaxing sounded ideal right now. "Yeah, maybe I will do that."

"And I'll be out with Rose today and it'll be a refreshing sight to see you all naked and bubbly in my bathtub." He whispered huskily and bumped his nose against hers.

"That sounds even better." She giggled and kissed him soundly.

"Are you ready to head out?" The both of them looked to see Rose standing in the doorway.

The vampire grumbled and met her halfway. "Ready when you are."

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><p>"So much for hanging home and relaxing." Grace sighed as she climbed down the steps leading to the ruins underneath the church. Rose's story had got her thinking, if Klaus needed to spill the blood of a doppelganger and a Guardian, then she did have one person that she could talk to. Weaving through the ruins, she came to a large hole in the wall that could barely be seen into. It was pitch black inside, but the Guardian could hear someone shuffling about as they came closer to the opening.<p>

"Hello, Grace." Katherine greeted, her voice raspy and gravely from practically starving since she had been thrown in there. "Come to watch me wither away?"

"Actually, I'm here to talk." Grace set her bag down before sitting beside it. She was sure to sit back far enough, so that Katherine couldn't grab her and make Grace her new chew toy.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not in the mood to talk." She pouted and leaned against the stone wall. Slowly, her body slid down until she plopped down on the floor weakly and eyed the Guardian. "You should have come here when Elena was here."

"Elena came to talk to you?" Grace questioned.

Katherine nodded and checked under her fingernails. "Yep. And I am all talked out. Too bad for you."

The Guardian unzipped her duffle bag and produced a water bottle filled with blood. The dark crimson liquid swished around as she shook it teasingly at Katherine and the vampire gritted her teeth. "C'mon, I know that you're hungry."

"Elena already gave me blood." She replied, but Grace could see the hunger in her eyes.

"You don't want it?" She looked to the vampire for an answer and when she wasn't given one, she simply shrugged and uncapped the bottle. "Okay." Grace slowly tilted the plastic bottle, increasing the angle more and more to let the blood dribbled down the side and onto the floor. Katherine's stomach dropped as she watch her meal mix with the dirt and leaves on the floor and she gulped loudly.

"Wait! Stop!" She pleaded and Grace halted, holding the bottle upright.

"Now you want it?" She grinned and Katherine banged her hand against the invisible barrier.

"Stop teasing me, Grace!" She hissed.

"I want my answers and in return for them, you'll get your blood." The Guardian spoke. "Do we understand each other?"

The vampire scooted closer to the barrier and watched as Grace took a cup from her bag. She poured a small amount of blood in the cup and used a long stick to slide it over to Katherine. She took it up and swallowed down the entire glass.

"I can now see how you and Elena are related." Katherine put the glass down and Grace corralled it back to her with the stick. "But you're a little feistier than she is. I guess that's why Damon likes you so much."

"What do you know about the sacrifice?" Grace pushed all thoughts of her new vampire boyfriend aside.

"Have you fallen into his bed yet? Damon has a way about making panties drop with just a smirk." Katherine could see that Grace was growing quite uncomfortable, but that only made her taunting more enjoyable.

"I asked you about the sacrifice." She grumbled.

"Someone's getting a little sensitive." Katherine smirked evilly, a throaty laugh falling from her lips. "You have him wrapped around your little finger."

"So did you." Grace said and the vampire's smirk fell. "But I'm not like you, Katherine. I won't betray Damon's trust and I won't become a backstabbing slut." The vampire used all of her energy to propel herself to the barrier, but she was shot back. Growling, she tried again, but her knees wobbled weakly and she fell to the floor.

"You little bitch." Katherine hissed.

"Easy now. We wouldn't want you to lose all that energy now, would we?" It was the Guardian's turn to smirk now and she poured more blood into the cup. "Now, tell me about the sacrifice."

Katherine pulled her legs underneath her and took a few breaths, replenishing her strength. "Well, I have to start from the beginning. Like I told Elena, I was excommunicated from Bulgaria because I had a baby out of wedlock."

Grace's face softened slightly. "What happened to her?"

"My father gave her away. It was punishment for disgracing my family." She answered solemnly, remembering how she sobbed in her mother's arms when her father ripped her sweet little girl right out of her arms.

"I'm sorry." The Guardian pushed forward more blood and Katherine shook her head uncaringly and downed the blood.

"I was sent to England and I had to adjust. So, I quickly became English." She continued, pushing away the echoing cries of her daughter as she was taken away from her. "While I was there I caught the eye of a nobleman named Klaus. I was taken with him at first until I found out what he was and what he wanted from me and then I ran like hell."

"So, you just ran from him?" Grace wondered.

Katherine nodded. "A vampire named Trevor helped me run. He gave me shelter in a cottage, but his uptight friend, Rose, wanted to take me back to Klaus. So, I knew that Klaus wouldn't be able to perform the sacrifice without a human doppelganger."

"You...you killed yourself?" She stared at the vampire.

"I had to. Klaus needed to sacrifice the Petrova doppelganger and drain every drop of blood from my body." Katherine passed the cup back. "That's what he'll do to Elena."

"And what did he want with a Guardian?"

"Well, Guardian blood was also used to seal the curse. And he was able to get one."

_"Niklaus, she is not a beast and therefore she should not be treated as such." Elijah hissed as he trailed his brother down the long hallways._

_"We have to keep her down, brother, or else she could escape." Klaus replied simply._

_"By the way you are treating her, she will never make it to the sacrifice." He roughly grabbed his brother's shoulder and brought him to a stop._

_"I have made sure that she will be kept alive until such time." His brother smirked._

_"Niklaus—"_

_"Brother, she is simply a piece to the sacrifice. Her life means nothing to me." Elijah's face fell at his brother's disregard for the lives of others. "The same with Katerina. They mean nothing." Both brothers then continued their stroll, but they were unaware that Katerina was listening to their conversation. She peered out from around a large column and wondered what or who they were hiding from her._

"I knew that they were hiding something from me, but I didn't know what." Katherine spoke. "They thought that because I was human that I was stupid too. I knew that they were keeping a secret from me and Trevor only confirmed that. He told me that my life was in danger and that someone else's life was in danger too. The night I made my escape, I wanted to help her too."

"Her?" Grace wondered.

"Klaus was keeping a Guardian locked up in the basement and when the time was right, he was going to kill us both. I was going to run, but...I couldn't leave her alone."

"Looks like you're not the selfish bitch everyone makes you out to be." She spat.

Katherine's eyes softened and she dragged her finger through the dirt on the floor. "She was young. Probably a little younger than me. I guess...I felt like I couldn't leave her."

_Katerina drew closer to the large cage and peered in between the bars. While Elijah and Klaus were out, she snuck down into the basement to see if what Trevor had told her was really true. She saw a young girl breathing shallowly on the floor of the cage. Her clothes were in tatters, her skin was dirty and her arms and legs were tied down so tightly that her wrists and ankles bled. A pair of large white wings rested against her back and they were covered in dried blood and a thin layer of black dust. The masses were strapped down to her back with thick, black ropes which was reminiscent of the dust on her wings. She looked so malnourished and weak that Katerina would have thought that she was dead if she didn't hear her breathing. Katerina slid the key into the lock and turned it, letting the lock fall to the floor. The bird girl's head snapped to the sound of the noise and her bright blue eyes were filled with fear watching as Katerina stepped inside. The brunette drew a knife from her belt and the girl in chains thrashed about wildly._

_"I won't hurt you." Katerina cooed softly, but the girl wasn't listening. Her ropes held her down, so she could only move so far, her limbs and wings restricted. She screamed and wriggled about, making too much noise that would quickly draw attention to any of the servants walking around upstairs. "Shh! Please, I am here to help you." With a quick slash, she cut one of the ropes that held the girl's wings and she removed the rope from it. The girl then realized that this person was not here to hurt her and she stilled, letting Katerina cut the other rope. Once her wings were freed, she slowly stretched them out and flapped them. Katerina then freed her wrists and ankles and helped her to her feet. She was a small girl, her wings were easily double her size and her black hair was matted and knotted. Her eyes were so striking and they stood out against her olive skin._

_"Th...thank...you." The girl murmured weakly as Katerina held her around the waist._

_"I'm Katerina. What is your name?"_

_"Marina." She replied._

_It was remarkable how Katerina was able to get herself and they young-winged woman out of the castle without anyone noticing. They ran as fast as they could and they were just off the grounds of the castle when they heard shouting from behind them. Katerina's heartbeat quickened, so much so that it pounded against her ribcage as she ran. Marina was trying her best to keep up, but her injuries were making it harder for her to run. Turning to look over their shoulders, lights illuminated the castle's windows and the shouts of men grew louder and closer. They were coming for them. Marina shook out her wings in an effort to remove the black dust and she crowed happily feeling movement come back to the masses on her back. Their feet bled and stray tree branches snagged onto their skin and clothing, but they pushed themselves to run harder._

_Katerina made a misstep and she fell to the ground, allowing Marina to pass her, but she turned back to help her fallen friend. Watery brown eyes peered up at the Guardian and she shook her head._

_"I cannot run anymore."_

_"You must." Marina implored as footsteps drew closer. She took up the young girl by her forearms and hoisted her up. "What is it...an eye for an eye?"_

_"What?" She asked._

_"You saved my life, so it is my turn to return the favor." Her wings flapped loudly, kicking up dried leaves and making Katerina shiver. "Keep running, Katerina. I will try to lead them away from you. I will never forget what you have done for me." She jumped up high into the sky, her wings keeping her afloat in the air and she flew back towards the castle in hopes to lead the vampires away from Katerina._

"I never saw her again." Katherine recalled. "If it wasn't for her, I never would have gotten away."

Grace heaved a heavy sigh, a frown painting her pink lips and she leaned up against the wall. Katherine really had gone through a lot of trauma. Perhaps that was why she only looked out for herself. "So, I'll bite. What else is needed to break this curse?"

"Well, you already know the obvious two things. A doppelganger and a Guardian."

"What else? It's not just me or Elena or the stone, is it? Otherwise there would be no reason to trigger Tyler Lockwood's werewolf curse."

"Witches and their spells." Katherine sighed. "So many ingredients, so many people to sacrifice."

"So you need a werewolf?" Grace wondered.

"Believe it or not, they're hard to come by."

"What else?"

"A witch to do the spell. Mine bailed, but Bonnie will do just fine." She smirked wryly.

Grace scooted closer to Katherine. "Keep talking."

"A vampire."

"Caroline..." She hushed.

"It could have been anyone I suppose, but I like the poetry of Caroline."

"So, you were gonna just hand us all over to be killed?" Graced asked the vampire, a glare in her eyes.

Katherine shrugged and turned herself back into the shadows. "Better you die than I."

The young Guardian looked down at the bottle of blood in her hands and then back at Katherine who hadn't said a word. With a quick, yet graceful movement, she placed the bottle on it's side and rolled it into the tomb. She stood and dusted off her jeans which had a thin layer of dirt on them and made her way to exit the caves, but she bumped into a hard body. She gulped as her eyes trailed up the leather lapels of Damon's jacket and she gave him an awkward smile.

"Why am I not surprised that you found your way down here?" He posed.

"I came here for answers." She stood up to him firmly.

"And she got all of them." Katherine murmured from inside her prison. She had stood up, a hand to brace herself on the rocky wall and she had come towards the light. "Except one. Pity, Grace. You were going to leave without hearing the best part of the story."

"Well, we're not staying to hear it." Damon took Grace's upper arm and jerked her towards the exit.

"Wait! Stop it, Damon!" She fought him.

"As a punishment for running from Klaus; he killed my entire family. Whatever you do to escape Klaus, he will get his vengeance on your friends, your family and anyone that you've ever loved." Katherine spoke and Grace had stopped fighting Damon's hold on her. "He will slaughter everyone you've ever known. You, your mother, you new vampire boy-toy, your friends. Everyone."

"Don't listen to her. She's lying." The male vampire growled low.

"Oh, come on, Damon. Even you know that she's doomed. There's nothing you can do to stop it unless of course you have this." Katherine took out a small stone from the pocket of her dress and dangled it in front of the couple.

"The moonstone!" Grace reached for it, but the vampire was surprisingly quick to pull it back. "How did you-"

"As if I didn't see this trick coming from miles away." Damon rolled his icy blue eyes. "You want to use that rock as a bargaining chip for your freedom. You know, for a manipulative, psychotic bit, you're pretty clever."

Katherine let out a shrill laugh. "My freedom? That's where you're wrong, Damon. I don't want my freedom because when Klaus shows up to kill us all and he will, I'll be in the tomb, where no vampire will enter because they can't get out. I'll be the safest psychotic bitch in town."

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><p>"Damon! I said, put me down!" Grace shrieked and beat Damon's back as he carried her over his shoulder into the boarding house and up the stairs. He was angry at her for going to visit Katherine and he was even angrier that Katherine had managed to get the one up on everyone by keeping the moonstone just to keep her safe. Rose gave him a strange look, but didn't bother to try and stop their bickering. Once he was in his room, he tossed the Guardian on the bed, letting an amused smirk paint his lips when she bounced on the mattress.<p>

"You can't blame me for wanting answers!" She slid off the bed and got to her feet.

"Good. You've got them. Are you happy now?" He growled at her.

"Happy?!" She asked incredulously. "Happy that when Klaus comes to Mystic Falls that he'll kill my friends?! Happy that if I run from him that anyone I love will be killed?! No! I'm not happy, Damon!" She shouted at him. She was angry, confused, upset and there was another emotion that was bubbling at her core. It was at the very center of everything and when she finally pinpointed it, it came out as a soft whisper.

"I'm scared."

Damon's tense stature relaxed greatly and he let out a long sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let that hand pass through his mused hair as he took a few steps to close the distance between them. "Grace, I will protect you no matter what."

Her shoulders were shaking and her eyes were glassy, ready to overflow with tears. "But, Klaus—"

He took her face in his hands, making sure to look deep into her eyes and she fell quiet. "I will protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you, okay?" She looked hesitant to answer him, after all, Klaus was the most feared of the Original vampires and he would be a force to be reckoned with if and when he came to Mystic Falls, but Damon pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss that sealed his promise. People could say a lot of things about Damon, but when it came to protecting the people he cared about, he would do it no matter the cost.

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><p><strong>WOW! After a year, I have finally got the inspiration to update! I have struggled a lot with this story, but I am hoping to have it go AU and taper off within the next couple of chapters. I want to avoid repeating myself like I did in my other stories and I think it will be interesting to play around with lore that I could introduce. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will be thinking a lot about where I want this story to go. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and patient with me. You guys ROCK! Please leave a review and any suggestions for where this story could go :)<strong>


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